Axiom
by scintillant.blackskies
Summary: Melanie is Angela's 16 year old daughter. Her life seems normal, and so does everything in it... until it gets upturned by abnormal forces, and people from an unresolved past. Post Eclipse, 18 years or so. Complete as of 6/1, though edits will be made.
1. Prelude

_A/N: For the dreaded author's note... Axiom comes with a little back story of its own- I've had it in my head for a while, and it actually came to fit with what happened in Eclipse. _

_This comes almost 20 years after Eclipse, set in Illinois. Like Rose and Emmet, Bella and Edward decide to move away from the family for a few years- she's a counselor at a local high school, and he decides to join her there, for reasons that are yet to be explained. Daniel, as mentioned in the next chapter, is originally from the Denali clan, and doesn't have many decades of 'existence' under his belt, like Bella. He wanted to move south temporarily... and so he's with them. __The story is told from Melanie, the main character. _

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own, as well as The Twilight Series, belongs to Stephenie Meyer. _

_Boring? Uninteresting? My explanations are done. _

* * *

. 

The cold air swept through the surrounding trees, into my face. It was thrust into the sky- scattering the dark clouds, making the atmosphere swirl into a gray abyss. It's absolutely nothing, now. Nonexistent.

Maybe he was right- maybe I wasn't supposed to be here. Maybe the demons that obviously plagued his mind were here- the reason for all of the unnecessary glares and warnings.

And now that I've joined them in this copse, maybe they wanted _me. _The demons that have always seemed invisible to me. I didn't know what they were.

_Maybe._ Somehow, I doubted it all. Shunned it. Why believe in something I knew nothing about?

But really, how far could I sink _without_ knowing?

A hand, cold as ice, covered my mouth- and forced me down.


	2. Lady Midday

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own, as well as The Twilight Series, belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

.

This was horrible. I walked down the stairs, my arms around me; who thought that Illinois would have horrible weather waiting for us? My thoughts were bitter. From the constant drench of the rain in Forks, where my relatives were, to a cold front back here….

I blinked a few times to the bright lights in the kitchen, trying to get the effects of sleep out of my eyes. I found a potential conversation there.

"Hey, Ben." I tried to make my voice as friendly as possible, despite the horrible mood I was in. I didn't get a reply- my stepfather's head was on the kitchen table- a mug of coffee in his hands. "Hello?"

"Hey."

Such a talkative man. "Something wrong?"

"The temperature dropped last night."

"Yes, it did."

"A lot."

A little annoyance came from my end. "Yes, I know."

"I have to get in the car in ten minutes. And it's so damn _cold_."

Ahh. "I agree."

I smiled now, genuinely. Last night's events came into my mind- after we off the plane, Ben had insisted we rent a movie… and I, naturally, chose to skip the fine tale of cheesy heroic lines and gunfights.

"I only got an hour or two of sleep." He finally raised his head, and chose to just stare at his coffee instead. No wonder he was cursing the chilly weather.

A slap made us both jump. "That's your fault."

My mother made her way across the kitchen, a rolled up newspaper in her hands. She was already dressed for work- nothing could distract my mother, with her quiet but distinct determination. I would sometimes stare in awe at her attitude- she was one of the two people that I never questioned, never doubted. The other person, respectively, was Mrs. Masen.

Ben looked her over once, and returned to staring at his cup of coffee. "I don't understand you, Ang."

She laughed. "Of course you don't."

* * *

. 

The drive to school was uneventful- a few hundred feet, stoplight. Gas station. Stoplight. The list continued on. Once in the school parking lot, I didn't hesitate to get into a building- I'd have to do it sometime. I sighed dramatically as I got out of my car.

A surprise awaited me as I walked through the parking lot- someone had chosen to sneak up behind me and shake me by the shoulders. I shrieked in surprise.

"What the hell was that for?"

The boy roared in laughter.

Tall and olive skinned, the face of Orion Nestor looked down on me as if I were an animal doing an amusing trick. What a kind friend he was.

"_Orion." _

He scowled. "_Melanie._"

He hated to be called by his real name, and I didn't like him laughing at me- a fair trade.

He slung an arm around my shoulders, and we made our way out of the parking lot.

A wide smile spread across his lips as we walked. "I think Aimee has something to tell you." And there I saw her, running towards us, excitement evident on her face.

And there was the three of us, best friends for five years. Aimee Stein- the funny, charismatic, good-doer of the junior girls at the school; Orion Nestor, the quiet goalie for the school's soccer team- reserved around everyone but his friends. And then me, Melanie Raymond. Nondescript- the literature freak who willingly saw one of the school's counselors three times a week, as a result of having a horrible father- which shouldn't mean much, as she now had an incredible stepfather... But still, the memories were there.

We made up an odd trio, us three- each of us were so different that we just _fit _together. It was indescribable.

Aimee looked slightly disheveled as she came towards us. "Did you see Mrs. Masen today?" she asked.

"It's seven fifteen in the morning." I was surprised by her question- my best friends were never happy that I saw Mrs. Masen so much, and yet Aimee apparently wanted me to see her now.

Orion's mouth was twisted into a smirk as he began to speak. "How easily excited you are, pet." Aimee scowled at his choice of words. He continued speaking, as if he didn't see anything. "There's a new guy in school. He was talking to Masen."

My eyebrows raised. "There's 3,000 people in the school, Aimee."

She shook her head impatiently, and tried to explain the importance of _this_ particular student to us.

"His name is Edward Cullen- I found that out while I was talking to Barbra this morning. From up north, or something like that- student teacher for AP Biology..."

Orion interjected. "Call her _Ms. Smith_, Aimee. She's too old to be called Barbra by students." His voice was teasing.

"She's only twenty-six, 'Ryan!"

He sighed. "You spend too much time with that woman. Maybe you'll come to school as a blond tomorrow, like her." He laughed, and Aimee hit him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm only joking…."

Mrs. Masen was younger than the office clerk, Mrs. Smith… that much I was sure of. No matter how much she knew me, I still knew next to nothing about her. She grew up west of Illinois, and her husband was going to become a doctor… that was pretty much all I knew about her. It wasn't comforting to know that she was a blank page to me.

Aimee continued her conversation. "He's actually as pale as Mrs. Masen, Mel- imagine that. With reddish hair, tall, muscular… and he's _beautiful." _This was apparently what she'd been trying to get across- she did it rather bluntly.

Orion was feigning interest. "But what about _Daniel?" _

She frowned. "I'm not sure. They'll give each other a run for their money. Maybe Edward already has a girlfriend- of course, he's in his twenties…."

Mrs. Masen and Daniel Adams were known to be the talk of the school- although both weren't very social. Despite that, boys had asked Mrs. Masen to prom on more than one occasion, and Daniel had the heart of nearly every girl in the school. They were undeniably beautiful- and perhaps by coincidence, they seemed to look alike in some ways. Both were sickly pale, both had extremely bizarre eyes. But both seemed to be perfect. It sounded like this new staff member was like them.

Several minutes, and a few arguments later, the three of us walked into the school in silence. I was completely lost in my own thoughts. Aimee looked slightly hypnotized- by supposedly seeing the new guy. And Orion was trying to stay away from Aimee.

It was by the school's courtyard that I first saw the boy Aimee was currently obsessing over. He stood in the partial shade of a pillar, eyes scanning the variety of students. Many people stared back at him. His lips were pulled into an expression that could only be translated as boredom. I heard Aimee sigh softly from my left.

He was very handsome, I decided- there wasn't anything to decide against. Strange colored hair that partly fell into his perfect, large eyes, a perfect straight nose, perfect full lips. Perfect, perfect, perfect. A very prominent bone structure to his face. Sturdy shoulders. Lean body.

I suddenly thought of the boy I sat next to in English class. The school's _heartthrob, _Daniel. His features were very different, compared to Edward's- raven-black hair, a narrow nose, more of a boyish frame. His eyes were strange, too- aware of everything, Daniel was.

I looked at Aimee hopelessly, and made my way to class.

* * *

. 

Five hours and a few 'welcome back' speeches later, I was sitting in the back of my favorite class- completely bored out of my mind. Our teacher, Mr. Brown, was about to assign us reports. On the first day back from school.

Oh, the compassion he has.

"Folklore," he continued his earlier speech, "is something that just about every country on our green Earth has. The variation is what's different- it's why you prefer Greek stories over Russian ones. You and your seat partner will get a culture, and a genre of their storytelling…" Everyone had stopped listening there.

Most of the girls in my class had glared at me in the twenty seconds that they knew I was Daniel's partner. They had been mad at me before, just because I happened to be seated where I was. However, those stares were nothing compared to these. Like I had personally insulted them, or something.

Meanwhile, Daniel's eyes were kept carefully to the windowsill to the left of us. "So, _partner_," he said in a quiet, but slightly amused voice, "what does our paper say?"

I looked at the paper, scanning the information we were to write about.

"Slavic legends."

He turned to me, his eyebrows raised. "Really?" I nodded. He seemed to think our topic funny- he tried to suppress his obvious desire to laugh. He eventually succeeded- his face smoothed out, trying to be serious. There was, however, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You know, Slavic stories are really rich- they loved mythical creatures, undead souls…. Goblins, ghouls, whatever you'd like to think." He smiled. "Like Halloween- all the spooky things."

I didn't know that. "Well, specifically- what creatures could we touch on?" I wasn't even sure if this was going to be interesting. I frowned at the thought.

Daniel saw that, and smiled even wider. "Well," he began, his voice dropping slightly, "there's the cyclops, a being that symbolizes misfortune- demons of bad weather, souls of undead children with deformed bodies…." he spoke faster, as my eyebrows raised higher and higher. "There are also more familiar demons- mermaids, dwarfs, shape-shifters, spirits that inhabit your homes… witches, vampires…." He smiled again as he said the last words.

I ignored his bizarre behavior. "How do you know all this?"

"I've been around, read a few books." His voice was light, easy going. He laughed quietly.

His behavior was infectious- I smiled, too. "So, tell me- what would you do if you encountered a mermaid?"

He laughed. "I don't know. We're not near any huge bodies of water… so I don't think you need to worry."

I pretended to scowl. "Okay, then. What about one of the _demons of bad weather_?"

The corners of his lips twitched at my tone. "I like the rain."

I glared at him, and he looked back at me, eyes innocent. "Fine. Vampire?"

He laughed again, louder than ever. People turned around to stare at us for a second time.

"Maybe I'd wear some garlic around my neck, and have a blade ready to decapitate him. Showing him my faith wouldn't hurt, either." His smile remained as he showed me the gold cross around his neck, under his shirt. "Do you think that would kill it?"

"You pretty much hit everything. I think you'd slay this mythical creature without much effort."

The bell rang, and Daniel immediately stood up. He leaned down, and his mouth was suddenly at my ear. His cool breath tickled me as he spoke. "But, you know, those are only ways to kill _mythical _creatures." With that, he walked away, still smiling. My eyebrows furrowed.

I had forgotten all about his little joke within the next hour.

* * *

. 

"Mel! They're looking this way."

I had been staring at the cafeteria's walls until Aimee had forced me to come back into the real world. I looked in the direction she was- and sure enough, both Edward and Daniel were in the doorway of the large building, eyes on our little group.

"My, they're looking at _you_, pet." Orion hadn't looked up from doodling on his napkin.

My response wasn't as encouraging, and my voice was low. "Don't overreact."

I looked to the two of them again, and I saw Daniel talking, but with his eyes focused on me. As I saw his lips move- very fast, it seemed- his fingers touched at his collarbone. I understood that he was referring to our conversation earlier. Just as Daniel had done in class, Edward also laughed at the story. Our little chat in English wasn't even that funny.

I wondered what their problems were. Edward's attention had also focused to me, and he laughed at what must have been my expression.

With that, they walked away.

I frowned before I took another bite out of my sandwich. For the first time in my life, I knew the new semester would prove to be interesting- mainly because there were many things I didn't understand.

* * *

_Remember... tell me what you think._


	3. Contortionist

_A/N: Thank you to all who've at least tried to read the first two chapters- who liked it, hated it, and to those who reviewed._

_ Suggestions? Questions? Comments? Drop a line, and I hope I'll be able to answer._

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own, as well as The Twilight Series, belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

. 

"It's called jealousy, pet- and it's been coursing through you for weeks."

That was true, and Aimee knew it. We _knew_ that she knew it.

But, of course, there wasn't any surprise when her retort was a flat-out lie. "'Ryan, interest and jealousy are two completely different things."

"Not when you're so interested that you get jealous for no good reason... It kind of just spirals off from there, doesn't it?"

She couldn't form a good enough response, it seemed. Aimee glared at Orion and walked away, occasionally throwing a glance at us over her shoulders.

I sighed. "Her maturity level has gone downhill, hasn't it?" I really didn't need him to confirm it- we both knew. He nodded anyway.

"Well, she began this freaky fantasy sequence that she told me all about in French..." He immediately saw the question in my eyes as we walked to the courtyard, and continued. "well, now that there are _two_ guys that she's after, she's trying to choose." I knew he was trying hard not to laugh, at the expense of our best friend. He shook his head, and covered his face with his hands.

"She's going insane." My words were simple, blunt.

"Thank God- a girl who has their head on straight. She saw Mrs. Masen through the window today- walking back to her office. That just... fueled the fire, so to say. She thinks looking like Masen is going to just _summon_ the guy." I laughed out loud.

His expression sobered, and we mutually decided to stop the innocent teasing- but not without a closing remark. Orion's voice was hard to hear as he said the next words, but I thought he was referring to the fact that she was fighting a lost cause. I silently agreed with him, and I was sure he knew how I felt.

I contemplated Aimee's behavior over the past week. Of course, I thought it completely unnecessary and over the top, like Orion did. Her fears were blown out of proportion- her worries that he- _Cullen_- was already taken, that someone else- someone _unknown_- had him wrapped around their finger. It terrified her, to some extent. She didn't even _know_ the guy- at all.

We talked for a few minutes, and he eventually went off to his car- three thirty was coming up, and it was carved into our minds that I had an appointment.

* * *

. 

"You aren't serious."

Mrs. Masen raised her eyebrows at my words. "I thought I heard you say that you_ wanted _to go into anthropology."

I did, and she remembered correctly. I decided not to answer her question. "But this is... sudden."

"Childcare is an excellent way to observe the process of parenting."

I was doubtful. "Have_ you_ done this before?"

Her voice was quick, but not harsh. "I went to college for a very different reason, Mel. I'm trying to blindly guide you through the journey of narrowing down your careers." So, that was a _no._

"I'm probably horrible with watching children. I didn't really enjoy _being_ a kid, after all." I frowned slightly.

Her golden eyes softened. "It'll be a good experience."

I sighed, and gave in.

I watched Mrs. Masen as she filled out the various forms I needed to attend these parent/child 'meetings-' as a third party. She looked the same, really- just like any other day.

For the past year, she's looked exactly the same. It was unsettling- to me, at least- someone who saw her more than anyone should. No _tan_? No haircut?

Unchanged. She wore her hair in the same harsh bun at the base of her neck. She always wore something nice- everything fit her perfectly. Always some nice suit thing- like a few of the other teachers did. But she had amazing fashion sense. Or just amazing clothes.

But I was positive no one saw her like I did. No one saw her as _much_ as I did, for starters- except for maybe the office clerks, or the other counselors. There were quite a few, of course- drug counselors, service counselors. But Mrs. Masen always kept to herself, I found- I'd only see her in this office building- rarely _in_ the school, walking through the classrooms. It was a bit surprising to find that Aimee had seen her today.

Maybe that was why she liked it here. She wasn't thrown into the spotlight- she didn't break up fights like the security, or often gave speeches like the vice principal. She did her work, kept up with her job- and that was that. No questions. She was good at what she did, and no one pressed her for anything else.

She knew I was looking at her by this point, as her eyes looked into mine for a few seconds, and then back down. The corners of her mouth twitched, and it looked as if she was embarrassed- with the look of uncertainty on her face and the very faint flush to her cheeks. She might have known that I was forming high opinions of her- opinions that were very likely to be out of line, because I knew nothing about her.

Perhaps my thoughts of her would seem creepy to others. I knew exactly what I thought of the woman, despite the fact that I knew next to nothing about her- a constant reminder, a nagging voice that said my opinions of her were from nothing, that I was probably dead wrong about her.

I decided to be bold today. "Mrs. Masen, what's your husband like?"

Of course, I didn't ask as many questions as I ought to, seeing as I'd like to know much more about her. But whenever I tried, I found that I couldn't- Mrs. Masen would never actually refuse to answer my very few questions, but there was an air there that made me _not_ want to ask. The ideas contradict themselves, but that was how I felt- to want to know to such an extent that I felt... kind of afraid. It was, however, more of an unconscious feeling than a chosen one. Instinct.

She didn't look up this time when she answered. "He's still in school- he'll be a doctor, sooner or later." Her voice, although pleasant, seemed strange.

I nodded. I made to ask something else- a follow up question to her response. However, the strangest thing happened to mind, and I became distracted to such an extent that I couldn't pay attention to, well... _anything. _

It was a sort of film between me and the real world- a barrier that I couldn't seem to break, although I consciously knew that I wanted to. It was some sort of _haze_,and the next feelings were even more bizarre. My state of mind seemed to dig itself deeper and deeper, twisting into unknown molds, constantly reconstructing itself. I've never felt anything quite so intense, and although nothing seemed to be wrong, it was terrifying- to not know what your mind was doing to itself.

It seemed as though I was on the edge of some discovery, to suddenly find a certain memory again- or what seemed to be a memory. I could honestly imagine it, at my fingertips, waiting for me to understand...

And then, as quickly as it had started, the feeling of being enclosed in my own mind was dissipated. The barrier had been knocked down- or exploded, rather. Everything was clear.

Mrs. Masen looked at me, now- and her eyes held some sort of unidentifiable emotion. Guilt, maybe? Pity? I wasn't sure.

"Done." She stood up and smiled. The expression seemed forced- her eyes didn't change.

We walked out of her room, which adjoined to the main office. She went up to the front desk and gave a few of the completed forms to Ms. Smith, and they sorted out the rest. A short while later, when they were finished, Mrs. Masen took a small stack off the counter and handed them to me.

"A program description... survey forms, topics to focus on... that's about all these are. The permission forms should be given to one of us in here before you go to any of the meetings, and... that's about it for today." She smiled, now- something genuine. It was undoubtedly much better than her weird behavior a few minutes ago.

Her phone rang, then- a shocking, shrill sound compared to the quieter sounds in the room. Mrs. Masen made no move to answer, until Ms. Smith told her otherwise.

So we hastily said our goodbyes as she picked up her various folders and unneeded documents. I heard the very beginning of her phone conversation before she entered her room- and naturally, it made no sense to me.

Mrs. Masen's voice was undoubtedly strained as she answered the phone. "Alice." Apparently, there was some sort of conflict in the conversation, as she then proceeded to ask what was wrong.

She waved at me before she shut the door.


	4. Gaze

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own, as well as The Twilight Series, belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

. 

The small stack of paper felt many pounds heaver than it actually was. I stared at the top sheet for a few seconds before lifting the hood of my jacket over my head- the mist that was outside had quickly turned into a heavy rain. As I ran to my car, I thought of the expression my mom would have on her face- maybe a slight grimace, or a few words of caution. Ben would probably coax her into signing my forms.

As I backed out of the space, I caught a glimpse of someone in the otherwise empty parking lot though my mirror. Surprise- it was Edward Cullen, leaning against his car, new and expensive looking. He was slowly getting soaked in the rain, with the water glinting magnificently on his skin as it rolled down his cheeks, his neck. I wasn't fazed my any of his beauty, though- although it was definitely apparent. There were more pressing matters.

His face was twisted into an expression I could only read as confusion, or maybe even curiosity- with eyes that were slightly narrowed, as if he was trying to decide something. His mouth was pressed into a thin line- and the way his features were laid out on his face made you think of a detective, a sleuth. Me, still looking through the mirror, locked eyes with him for a fraction of a second, although it felt much longer- and I knew that if he hadn't broken his gaze, it would have been impossible for me to look away. Even as I focused my eyes on the road, the image of Edward Cullen's eyes, somehow wise and mysterious- were burned into my mind. As I turned the corner to exit the school grounds, I saw his tiny figure, several feet away, turning around, and running- much too fast, it seemed- back to the school.

* * *

. 

As I drove carefully down the complicated maze of roads to our home, I thought not of Edward Cullen, but a childhood experience. When I asked my mother if I could attend these classes, the same thing would probably come to her mind- that if I couldn't handle children, I might not be able to take a hands-on class.

Every time we visit the Northwest Peninsula, we see my grandparents, and occasionally my parent's friends. Then we'd drive down to the Indian reservation, La Push. My mom's cousin is married to someone down there, and they honestly couldn't be happier. I remember one visit, when I was seven years old, my cousin- Cheyenne- had just given birth to her second child, Sarah. Even now, I can remember Cheyenne and Jacob, her husband, teaching me how to hold the baby that was only a few months old. They obviously thought I'd have no trouble with the feat, but they were wrong. It wasn't like I was helpless- I definitely had coordination. But there was something about holding_ life_ in your hands... And after that, someone was always there to watch me when I held the baby, which was very rare.

I couldn't get over the experience. I've held a good number of infants after that, and their parents usually don't allow me to hold their children again.

"Are you positive you want to do this?"

I knew she would be doubtful- but I was prepared. After my own initial doubt, I had definitely warmed to the idea- the program would be useful, either in experience or to put down on college applications.

"Yes, mom. After all, isn't confronting your fear the only way to conquer it?" My voice was teasing.

Although she seemed hesitant, the papers soon read her name- Angela Raymond. I had often wondered why she hadn't changed it to Cheyney- she wasn't bound to the name Raymond, as I was. I've asked her before, but she's never given an answer- and I knew it would be no different if I did now. After all, the subject was difficult to speak aloud, for both of us.

She began to speak to me again, as she read the rest of the form. "Mrs. Masen... she's your counselor, right?"

"You already know that."

She smiled. "I know- but you never bring her up, and I've never even _seen_ the woman... we should have given her a fruitcake for Christmas, as a thank you for everything." We both laughed.

"They probably wouldn't eat it."

* * *

. 

A week later, I was driving home from the first session of the program I had taken. Reflecting, I thought that the experience wasn't that bad at all- and I was actually glad I went. Maybe, I thought foolishly, this would help personal experience more than my education.

I was a long way from home- all the way across town, and Aimee had asked me to pick her up from a mechanic's- apparently, her car had broken down on the highway. I was confused by the fact that she had chosen to take the car a couple of hours' time away from where we lived...

"Hey," she said, sliding into the front seat of my Mazda. "Can we get out of here? I've been waiting for a while..."

I nodded absentmindedly, and we were soon back on the highway. We talked for a while, and she asked how my day went- I only replied with a nonchalant shrug.

She smiled. "You didn't like it?" Her voice was teasing.

"It was fine. Brought back a few memories." That was only half true. Nevertheless, she gave an encouraging smile and dropped the subject.

We stopped at a gas station- with my car needing gas, and both Aimee and I needing lunch. We walked into the mini-mart, and quickly got our packaged, preservative-filled excuse for human food.

In the small store, there were two figures heading for the exit, and coming our way. I was at the counter, and was fumbling with my wallet, while Aimee stared off into space. Suddenly, a pale hand reached over my shoulder to pay for our food.

I turned, and I was surprised to see my no-show English seat partner staring back at me, with the strange Edward Cullen behind him. Daniel turned to me, and offered a friendly smile. I saw something- unnatural, maybe- in his eyes, but I smiled back, ignoring my subconscious. He was known to be perfect, and nothing appeared to be wrong with him- he was friendly, I knew. But why did instinct tell me otherwise?

Aimee's eyes focused on our little exchange, and her eyes went wide- wider than I've ever seen them go. She silently handed me her food, and walked to my car. It looked like she was about to faint.

I frowned before turning back to them. "Sorry- about her behavior."

It was Edward that spoke. "It's okay." He turned to Daniel, and made it clear that they were in a hurry. Daniel, eyes black, had hastily agreed, and they left the store, without another word.

The long drive home brought many questions from Aimee- asking if they lived hours away from where we thought, why they seemed so rushed, getting into their car, if they had some secret _soiree_ to attend... and I couldn't answer her, obviously. I wanted to know myself- and I felt curious, although I had no right to be. It felt strange- wanting to know the details of a complete stranger's life.

After the long drive, and taking Aimee home, I found myself in the confines of my room, dark and inviting, and wished that those two people- no matter how marvelous they seemed- weren't ever in my life. They only made me uneasy.


	5. To Dwell Upon the Dead

_A/N: A double update for my lack of updates..._

_I have no intention of being the kind of author that says they'll stop the story if they don't get so many reviews. But, I do want to know what people think of this story, because I'm not all that happy with it- and I'd like to have anything. Suggestions, questions, comments- I'll be all ears.  
_

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own, as well as The Twilight Series, belongs to Stephenie Meyer. _

* * *

. 

Later that night, I walked down the stairs to find mom and Ben sitting on the couch. They were talking excitedly to each other, a book between them. Their conversation was cut short as they looked up at me.

"What is that?" I couldn't hide the curiosity from my voice- it wasn't often that Ben read novels. This one must be very good, for mom to convince him to take a look.

She smiled. "High school yearbook." She lifted it to show me the cover. "We were just... thinking about all our friends from twenty years ago." She gestured to the piles of pictures on the coffee table that I hadn't noticed, along with the folders they had been in.

"I don't really know much about your friends in high school." I frowned. I had met a handful- but they only involved a couple of minutes of them talking to my parents, and meeting me. "I mean... I've only met the people. I can't really imagine them as my age."

Ben nodded, understanding. He turned to mom. "We're so old, Ang." He laughed.

I liked Ben so much- I was grateful to have him as my stepfather. He's always read my expressions well, and our relationship was the farthest thing from awkward. He was a very easy-going person- never secretive, never deceitful. Not like my father.

My mom smiled. "Well, Melanie, you do know a few people." She patted the seat next to her, closing the yearbook. "Some of those people look so different now- and of course, the teenage mind is different than the adult one."

She took the pile of pictures and went through them eagerly. "Ah, graduation- here's Ben, and me." Two teenagers in hideous yellow gowns stared back at me. My parents looked so happy, arms around each other, between all the people at the graduation. It made me smile.

They both handed me random photos of people, introducing me to ones I didn't know. People with plain, overused names- Lauren, Eric, Tyler, Katie. There was a picture of my mom and Jessica Stanley, who I had also met before, on more than one occasion. In this photo, it looked like they were at a nightclub- the room was dark, with odd lights shooting in every direction. The flash of the camera had also caught a bit of an arm at the edge of the picture, just as bright as the photo's subjects. There was a strange bracelet on what appeared to be a woman's wrist. Her skin was pale, and there was one charm against it- dark, a contrast to her skin. I didn't know what the charm was, but I had seen the combination before- the white skin, silver bracelet, dark charm. But I didn't think twice on this.

Ben took another photo from the bunch. "You've met Mike Newton." That was all he needed to say, because I had met the man just a few months ago. And he wasn't the kind of guy you just forgot.

I looked at the picture of him as a teenager, and I had to admit that he was actually good-looking. His hair was much longer in the picture, his face more boyish. He had the kind of face that many of the girls in school loved to obsess over, much like the notorious Edward Cullen. But Mike looked like he could have played sports- been the "jock," the popular guy.

Mom smirked. "Yes, many of the girls were after Mike's affection." Was my expression that obvious? "Except for me... and one more person."

"You know..." Ben's voice was calm, although it held curiosity. "I wonder what happened to Bella."

Her name was the same as Mrs. Masen's, I realized. An insignificant detail- many women carry the name.

But there was a way about how he said the name that made me curious. "Who? You both have never told me about her."

My mom looked at me. "Mel, you remember Charlie Swan, right? His daughter- Bella."

I did know the retired police chief- he had come to Jacob's house for Christmas dinner. He had talked about his mysterious daughter at one time during the evening- but Jacob, who was always the nice, open guy, had hastily changed the subject. I had wondered why, at the time.

Mom looked out the window, away from us. "She was a good friend of mine, in high school. None of our friends know what happened."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Did something bad happen?"

Ben was the one to speak, now. "In high school- yes, things went wrong. But the thing that your mother is referring to- she ran off, after she got married."

Huh. That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought- I was thinking tragedy. "Getting married isn't bad."

She smiled. "It isn't. I just wish I would have talked to her more- I only got a handful of emails our freshman year of college- I didn't see her. She was way up in Alaska... But anyway, I lost contact with her after that." She sighed. "But those things happen. I don't talk to most of the people I'm showing you photos of."

Ben smiled, too. "Sweet girl- a little shy, persuasive and friendly, too. And demanding, when she wanted to be. She was pretty- she could have picked almost any boy in the school to be hers, even though she didn't want any of them." Both my parents laughed at this.

A harmless story, it seemed like. I returned to an unanswered subject, pressed for a response. "But what did you mean, that things were bad in high school for her?"

"Ah." My mother's voice was delicate, like the subject could not be taken lightly. "Boyfriend trouble. She was with the best looking guy in the school- but in senior year, he moved away."

That was it? "No long distance relationship?"

She frowned. "Apparently not. She was crushed when he left."

Boo hoo.

Ben saw the skepticism in my eyes, and his voice was a bit more intense than before. "Well, can you imagine a friend of yours dead? Maybe, but I don't think you'd have to face their lifeless face every single day. There really isn't a way to describe it." His sudden seriousness had startled me.

I couldn't imagine a friend of mine losing their life, at least not for a very long time. I didn't understand- my parents had told me that she had gotten married, not committed suicide. I was good at ignoring my own emotions, and although there were many emotions I felt, the only unconditional love I really felt was towards the two people beside me. I didn't know what would drive this _Bella _to such extremes, all for love...

Ben frowned as he continued. " Imagine a person like that- a shell of what they used to be. Not exactly dead. I think, though… that she was very near losing her life. That's probably why we can't find a picture of her- she never did _anything_."

My mom's voice was softer now, as she spoke. "It was hard to watch. It was really like she wasted away- she spoke in monotone, she didn't eat, it looked like she didn't sleep... It frightened me. It's hard to describe. But I think I can say that her feelings for him were stronger than what all of us felt at the time."

Ben pretended to scowl, and mom smiled weakly. There was something about the way she said that that made me believe her.

Ben's tone was a bit happier, now. "But, the family moved back... and happily ever after, or so we all think. They married the summer after senior year, only weeks after the family got back."

Wow- she was married as a teenager, only a couple of years older than me. "At least they got that- each other." They both smiled wider, and nodded.

"They deserve it."

My mom smirked, now, and it wasn't often she did that. Ben turned to her, as confused as I was, apparently. "Someone else fancied Chief Swan's daughter, too. After all, La Push isn't very far away, and Billy Black is one of Charlie's best friends... just as Bella was Jake's best friend."

_"Jacob?"_

Ben raised his eyebrows in disbelief. I was sure his expression mirrored mine. "Huh. How about that." His tone was thoughtful. "I never would have guessed- it's like he's only meant for Cheyenne. But Jake always changes the subject when Bella comes up... Did they fight, or something?"

"Did you not_ see_ that time when he drove up to the school? Frightened some kids, I bet."

After talking about the teenage life of our relative, my mom shrugged nonchalantly, and made to change the subject herself. "They're coming on Wednesday- did you know? They're stopping here for a few days before visiting Cheyenne's parents in Wisconsin."

Ben unknowingly veered the discussion off course, as well. "Really? They're staying here, I hope... a hotel room would be ridiculous..."

I was left with my thoughts. Bella Swan. A girl, who, as I saw- from the very brief summary of her life- was very in tune with her emotions, and yet so unsure at the same time. Surely she wouldn't be hurt like that unless there was more to that reason. And her anonymous boyfriend, who left her without a word? Maybe he hurt her. Maybe their relationship was more than small-town life would allow. But, alas, wouldn't Bella's mysteries always remain unanswered?

I don't think I could handle what my mother experienced. What would I do if, say, Aimee had the same thing happen to her? Their descriptions of the situations were only in _words_. Usually, words were empty. I knew the time was extremely hard for this girl, but I didn't _feel_ anything. Words alone hardly shake you to the core.

I had a hunch that I wouldn't be able to do much, if I were in the same situation- emotions like that sounded irreversible, even as a teenager.

I excused myself and trudged up to bed shortly after, trying to think of nothing more than the darkness I would see behind my eyelids.

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_The only way for a fanfiction to improve is if it gets feedback. Please review! _


	6. Author's Note

_A/N: So, I don't like author's notes interrupting the story as much as the next person (and I promise this won't happen again), but the story isn't really going the perfect way I wanted it to be going. But it isn't the end of the world, haha. I've decided to take out the chapter _Obscurity_- it doesn't stand as strong as I'd hoped, and the story is probably better off without Bella's point of view. Really, we're not missing anything._

_First, _Contortionist._ Melanie is curious about Bella's life, and she can't tell her. So what does she do? She uses her gift, which I got from page 113 of New Moon... the 'hazy' feeling- it'll be used again. Second, the beginning of the chapter _Gaze_ is pretty important. That was the first real time Edward's looked into Melanie's head- he knows who her mom is now. It explains their (Bella, Dan, and Edward's) behavior in the next chapter._

_To answer _Em'sGirl23's _questions, Melanie doesn't know that her beloved Mrs. Masen and Bella Swan are the same person. In that picture, Melanie only saw Bella's arm, with Jacob's bracelet on it. && Yes. Although I know it's pretty rare, I think Jake should be happy. He did.__  
_

_I'm going to go ahead and sound like a broken record- the reviews would really help. Not for the sake of the story just getting reviews, but to make this story hopefully better than it is now. Have something to say? Please, don't hesitate! _


	7. Erratic Behavior

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own, as well as The Twilight Series, belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

The rest of the week brought a dullness that I thought wasn't possible. The days dragged on and on, twisting in strange ways as they seemed to form one long stretch of absolutely nothing. School dropped back into its monotonous blend of drudgery– classes got harder, the homework load was heavier. Getting through each day seemed like an emotional challenge. 

Mrs. Masen wasn't in school.

No one would really see that as_ strange_. But I did- in the many months that I'd been seeing her, we've never rescheduled an appointment. She took leaves from school, of course- she didn't need to be here all five days a week, anyway. But when she was needed here, she stayed here. It didn't seem like her to miss work. I voiced this much to my friends.

"Ms. Smith almost wouldn't tell me_ anything_. She said the school hasn't heard from her in weeks..." Of course, my friends had always thought I overreacted to anything concerning this woman- what she said, what she _didn't_ say, where she came from... They didn't take this seriously. That was expected.

"Maybe she's on vacation." Aimee's voice was nonchalant, as she fixed her hair in a compact mirror. She continued. "Getting some sun is always nice... have you _seen_ her skin?"

Orion agreed. "That whole office building is always in shadow. You know, all of the windows in that building face west- and the building at the other end of the school has all theirs facing east. It's part of the school layout plan, or something..." He trailed off.

Aimee frowned. "I thought they didn't get sun at all."

"Well, they get sun in the late afternoons."

Aimee turned to me. "Is that right, Mel?"

I decided to be truthful- which was to pick neither side. "Mrs. Masen always has her blinds closed."

She smiled. "Coincidence, then- she chooses to work in the building that looks like it's haunted, she _never _comes out... almost like she's afraid of the sun." She laughed jokingly.

My eyes narrowed inappreciably. "_Cullen_ quit working here, you know." I knew Aimee_ didn't_ know that- by the way her eyebrows raised in unnecessary panic, and then how she proceeded to act like nothing was wrong.

Orion smiled even wider. "Well, then- it was never meant to be, pet."

I suddenly thought of the two of them, Edward and Daniel- in the convenience store. That was the last time I saw Edward, and Daniel came to school two days after that. Then he stopped coming, too. With the school's large numbers, I knew that fact was a coincidence, entirely- no matter how strange it seemed to me that the only interesting people besides my friends just... vanished.

* * *

. 

The next Tuesday brought a surprise- a rental car pulled into our driveway, the only noise I'd heard outside since I got home. As the three of us walked out onto our porch, we saw three figures get out of the black car, drenched in the afternoon sunlight. My mom's eyes widened.

"_Cheyenne!"_

And then there were numerous greetings- hugs and kisses, gifts, light chatter. Soon after, we were seated in our dining room, enjoying a truly light-hearted meal. My cousin Cheyenne always seemed to fit into an environment- she was light-hearted and animated when she could be, like now- and then she could be serious and somber when needed. I didn't even know how she was my cousin- to what degree, or the number of times we were removed. My mother always said that there was a complicated line that connected the two of them- but their families kept in touch, when they were growing up.

Her husband, Jacob- he was a different story. Indeed, he was one of the nicest men I've ever met, and maybe his outlook was mature through whatever he's done in his life... but he's always been able to relate to his kids, to _me_- definitely not a boring parent, he was. Understanding, energetic.

But there were also other things about him that I've never been able to figure out- a whole other side of him, it seemed. He sometimes had this look in his eyes that I'd never been able to place. Like he was waiting for a disaster to come. Always looking out for danger.

Surely his second sight was unneeded, though. What goes on in the tiny La Push reservation? Nothing, I was sure.

Then, there were their kids- Sarah, Marie, and Aidan. Sarah and Marie had already gone to their grandmother's, so Aidan was the only one to accompany his parents here. He was only fourteen, I was sure- but he changed an _awful_ lot since I last saw him- a mere two months ago. He could easily pass for twenty-one years old- from the sharpness of his features, to the fact that he was only about six inches shorter than his father...

As I looked around at our three guests, and at my parents, I realized how much their age seemed false- Jacob and Cheyenne seemed like the ultimate youthful couple... in their early twenties, although Jacob was only a year younger than my parents, and Cheyenne a good four years younger than him. My parents could pass a few years younger than their age, also- and Aidan looked older than _me. _Looks could honestly be deceiving.

I tuned into the conversation they were having. It seemed like they were talking about their children- _joy._

"I was really opposite about naming Mel compared to you," My mother's joking voice replied. "You have all your kids named after someone..."

Cheyenne smiled. "It was easy, really- maybe we aren't that creative. Aidan is my great-grandfather's name-"

Aidan cut in. "When it came down to them choosing between my great-great grandfathers, let me tell you- Aidan is better than Ephraim." We laughed.

Cheyenne continued. "Sarah is Jake's mother's name... and Marie is actually Bella Swan's middle name." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jacob frown, ever so slightly.

Ben was the one to talk, this time. "You know, the last time we were in Forks, we tried to find out what was happening with everyone we had ties to... but we didn't get anything on Bella."

My mom nodded. "Your families are close, Jake- what's she been up to?"

Jacob looked clearly uncomfortable to be put in the spotlight, which was unusual. "Nothing's really happened, Ang. We haven't heard from_ them _in a long time." He tried to keep his voice nonchalant, and it was obvious that he was desperate to change the subject.

My mother either didn't care, or took no notice. "Doesn't Chief Swan keep in touch with his daughter?" Her voice was soft, yet pressing.

Jacob's facial expression was strange- I'd never seen it before. His face was void of all emotion- his face altered so quickly that he had obviously been this way before. His eyes, however, were a different story- the nearly black irises blazed, with the strange burn of- anger? Guilt? His voice was tight, controlled- as he spoke. "No, not really. Charlie was perfectly fine with just _letting her go_ when she got married... he has no idea, though..."

Ben frowned. 'What do you mean?"

Jacob grimaced. "Dead. Bella Swan is dead." His eyes immediately softened, and he automatically looked almost ashamed of himself.

Cheyenne threw him an angry glare, before turning to us. "He's lying- she's perfectly_ fine. _ She's happy, I'm sure."

I was startled by his comment. _Dead?_ Although I didn't know her, Bella's story was heart-wrenching, and as she was my mom's _friend, _and Jacob's... It was unexpected, to say the least. Why would he say that his best friend was no longer alive?

Cheyenne continued to speak. "Jake _told_ me her story, told me their relationship... and I think she's content. I don't blame her..." Her eyes were distant.

"Blame her for what?" My mom asked, uncomprehending.

Jacob spoke again, his voice much softer. Saddened. "For becoming... for_ changing._..."

Cheyenne finished. "You know."

_I_ didn't know, but my mother obviously did. Her eyes went wide, and she looked down. "All along, that family... and she _knew_-" She wasn't angry or sad as Jacob was- just a bit surprised, I was sure.

The couple simply nodded.

"But Carlisle was a _doctor_!"

Jacob's voice was gruff, and he closed the subject. "The family was different. He was... experienced."

I made eye contact with Ben, and I was sure he knew about as much as I did. We were there, in the middle of an important discussion- and we had no idea about anything.

Soon after dinner, our three guests headed up to our two guest rooms, claiming the plane ride took a lot out of them. They were lying, and we could all see it- the shadows under their eyes, the emptiness in them. My mom knew something had kept them from getting much sleep, and she didn't press the subject.

No one dared to talk about Bella Swan- still the mystery to me.

Before going upstairs, however, Jacob had touched the jacket I had left on our couch with the strangest expression on his face. His nose wrinkled the slightest bit, and he shook his head once at me. He turned away, and disappeared from my sight.

I excused myself from the house, and walked outside, intending to go into the few trees that surrounded our house. The woods outside our house was definitely thin, but they stretched pretty far, with our house was pretty much at the end of the neighborhood. I thought of Jacob's expression as I walked off our property, but chose to shut my mind off to his strange behavior.

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_Yes, Angela knows what the Cullens are. That'll be explained soon... Don't forget to review. It isn't that hard- and it might make the story better, if it's constructive.  
_


	8. Confrontation

_A/N: This chapter came out a lot different than I had originally planned- but the story is exactly the same. So- I don't know about this one yet. It might go through some major editing..._

_Disclaimer: The Twilight series, as always, belongs to Stephenie Meyer. _

* * *

. 

It was comforting to walk alone in the woods. The cold February air bit at my skin- it suddenly made me feel more alive, like I had come out of some bizarre stupor. How nice it was, to not be disturbed by memories, and agony...

Or mystery.

My boots crunched on the frozen ground as I made my way down the natural path outside our house, and I soon reached the familiar stream, where so many of my recent memories lay. I must have been walking for more than an hour- it was already twilight.

As I looked at the water's frozen state, I fully realized that I was _far_ from my house- I wouldn't make it home before it was dark, even if I ran. This was slightly annoying, but not disturbing- my parents knew where I was, if I wasn't in my room. It wasn't like I was afraid of being outside.

From the look he gave me before going upstairs, I knew Jacob would undoubtedly be furious that I would come home after dark- more than he was allowed to be. He had absolutely no reason to be mad- our little corner of suburbia was about as dangerous as _Forks_ was.

Then, very suddenly, a hand clamped tightly over my mouth, and another pushed my shoulder down. I didn't want to give this person, whoever it was- a real reason to kill me, if this was the case. So I willingly sank to my knees. This was something I had learned from having a father like mine- sometimes, a struggle could mean an injury.

But this was nothing like I had ever experienced. The hands touching me were so _cold_- colder than the frigid weather. The stranger's breath was the same- somehow icy, breathing against my neck. My heartbeat blocked out all the other sounds surrounding me, but I was somehow able to hear the single word this stranger said.

"_Melanie."_The voice seemed to be luring- seductive,_ addictive..._

My mouth was uncovered, and the stranger's face was suddenly in front of my own. His eyes were nothing like I'd seen- hypnotizing, beautiful beyond belief... and at the same time, terrifying.

How could I find that these red eyes were _beautiful?_

Demon-like, they were. I knew that these were not the eyes of a good-hearted man- they were much too wild for that. And even as I contemplated this, even as I instinctively _knew_ no good would come out of this confrontation, I couldn't look away...

He stepped forward- closing the few yards' distance between us.

"Vincent 'as been lookin' for you, sweet Mel," The man's eyes scanned my face once, and his beautiful face had its expression twisted into something like amusement.

He quickly closed nearly all the space between our bodies. His torso was stone hard and glacial compared to mine- they pressed against each other, with my back against a tree. I felt sick, contaminated... dirty.

How disgusting- I was just about to be assaulted by this total stranger... and I was still mesmerized I was_ captivated_ by his beauty, still.

The worst part of it was knowing that I was going to die at the hand of this man.

His lips were at my ear. "'Course... you dunno what we are, even with our kind among all you... the _yellow-eyes. _You're tied to them, y'know. They're all around yeh- all _supernatural. _Vincent's smelled you, an' no doubt we can use you, but a lil' girl-- to our advantage. Vincent's lass will go _berserk_ when she sees ya in me arms..."

I heard the faint _crack_ of what was maybe a tree going down in the distance.

"Vincent's the 'ead of our coven, 'o course- he lost his mate in a battle down south a few decades back. While we was on hunt in Alaska, 'e caught sight of 'dis young lass- 'de don't really make 'em like that, fer our kind. 'Natural-lookin', 'e said- I can't disagree with him. Divine woman, she is."

He suddenly looked back to me, and through the fear, the _panic_ that was in my eyes, I knew he could see the questions. Did I know this _Vincent_? No. Did I know how he knew my name? Of course not. But I did know that I was prey, in some _sick_ game... The stranger's little ramblings told me that much. I still couldn't speak. He continued his little story- if he saw any point in explaining things that made no sense, I would let him.

"See, you know 'de woman- she's 'ere, fightin' us, with her _mate_. He won' let his _Isabella_ go, o' course- I can understand that. Mates're tied together, sorta."

"But now we need to kill 'dat_ bastard_... jus' more work fer us, you see."

He laughed- the sound was more than a little hysterical. "An' it dosn' matter what I tell yeh now- you and him both should be dead in a few minutes' time." I shivered involuntarily at his words. He kissed my earlobe, lightly, and his voice was so soft that I wouldn't be able to hear him even if he were a few inches away.

"'Yeh won' feel a thing, darlin.' It would be cruel, even for me- to hurt such a beautiful human as you."

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_ Did I kill the accent? Crappy chapter? Please review!_


	9. Petrification

_Disclaimer: The characters and books belong, of course, to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

. 

I was petrified. It felt like my body had solidified completely, making it impossible for me to move. I felt the man's breath on my neck, as he murmured words into my ear that I couldn't hear.

The sun had completely set, now. The purple sky was steadily getting darker and darker, and I felt my eyes slowly flutter shut. For, I thought unwillingly, the last time.

The grip he held on my shoulders tightened significantly. If- by any far-fetched chance- I'd be alive tomorrow, there would be bruises over the span of them, and along my upper arms. I could imagine them- hideously black and blue, probably with that ugly yellow ring around the area. But that didn't really matter, did it?

The distant sound of a roar echoed through the forest, and the ground seemed to tremble to response. An animal, perhaps? The sound was so loud, as if the animal was close enough for me to see. I heard several trees snap.

The stranger suddenly pushed himself off of my body. He turned toward the sound of the unknown animal's location, and cursed loudly. My attacker continued to yell in what I assumed was his native language. He talked so fast, that his words soon became an incoherent European slur. His face was livid.

Naturally, this made me more terrified than I already was. I didn't even think that possible.

_Maybe he'll just get on with it now, and kill me faster._

Everything happened very fast after this pause, this change in plan.

The same animal roared again, still inside the shadows of the forest. The sound was guttural- deep, vicious. I was positive that the creature was only feet away from my attacker. The sound seemed to be thousands of times louder.

My attacker _growled back_, noticeably louder than the so-called animal in the shadows. I didn't know what to call the 'animal,' anymore. Another man, perhaps- if_this_ man could growl...

An unpleasant shock ran through my body as I saw my attacker's reaction, and heard his snarls. From here, I realized that my attempts to decipher all of my attacker's words were worthless. Logic obviously didn't apply here. I didn't know what to think- of him, of anyone.

Or of Jacob. The weight of his words crashed down on me, as I realized that he had obviously _known_ what was in the forest- that unimaginable danger lurked in these natural barriers. I saw the look in his eyes, only a couple of hours ago. And it was too late to listen to him.

Another force pulled me in a different direction, very suddenly. I was held against another marble body, the same way I was held minutes ago. This was truly sickening, now- I was being _played_ with. Were they fighting over who would get to keep me?

What did I do? Something that was childish and absurd. Something that showed I suddenly had no control over my emotions, even though I had tried so hard, _all my life_, to permanently mask them. Something stupid.

I started to cry.

The tears came, but I tried not to make a big show of it- I was able to keep the little hiccuping sounds lodged in my throat. The little droplets just flowed steadily down my face, without mercy. Against my wishes, I heard myself whimper.

I was surprised, yet again, by what this unknown person did. They put their arms around me, and hesitantly rubbed by back. A gesture that was definitely supposed to be comforting. But not to me. Not in this situation. I looked up for the first time, into the eyes of a female, very much like the man with the strange accent. However, the eyes I saw were not red, and didn't hold that strange ability to hypnotize me, although they would probably be able to, if they wanted.

The face was much more beautiful than that. The _only_ face that held such unique expressions- as I knew who this was. Although it seemed ridiculous, my heart broke into a million more pieces, and I was more unsure than ever.

It was Mrs. Masen. Of all people.

Her presence did more to me than it should have. And yet, I felt that my thoughts were totally reasonable. Her being here symbolized so much_ more_. After all, she was someone who I trusted- with my life. Someone who I've never questioned- someone who I thought was _true_. She turned out to be completely opposite, just by standing here.

Maybe she was the kind of person that would wait- no matter how long- in the shadows, until they had an opportunity to get exactly what they wanted. Maybe she knew that the red-eyed stranger desired to kill me. Maybe she stopped him, just so she could do it herself.

Reality slapped me in the face. Was I going too far?

I hadn't been able to move. I let her eyes, repulsively sweet and concerned, burn into my own.

A horrid way to die- by betrayal.

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_A/N: I was really unsure about that last chapter, and I thank all of you that reviewed! I got a few questions- about the accent, what the guy (who still doesn't have a name) said... and so I tried to edit that. It didn't go very well- I only was able to replace a few words while still holding that bizarre accent. So..._

-IMPORTANT- _(if you'd like to know what I was thinking for Confrontation) _

_Mel's attacker wanted to 'play' with her before he killed her. That's why he unnecessarily told her all he knew, why he was so physical, etc. _

_Vincent, the coven leader, has recently lost his mate. His solution: get another one. He catches sight of Bella, and he wants to 'win' her. His coven are fighting Edward, Dan and Bella because of this. They know Edward and Bella are inseparable, and so in order to gain control of Bella, they'll have to kill Edward..._

_ That connects to Alice's phone call, which will be explained... later. (I keep saying that, I know...) This chapter only matters in two ways- how Mel thinks she's been betrayed. By everything, really, because Bella has helped her _so_ much. And, Mel knows, now, that what's happening to her isn't _ordinary_, so to say. Perhaps unconsciously, she knows that Bella, or Mrs. Masen, isn't human. _

_I've been a bit worried with the last two chapters, as out of place as they seem to me...  
_

_Questions, suggestions, comments? Please review! _


	10. Ascertain

_Disclaimer: Everything from the Twilight series belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

. 

It was her.

The tears no longer threatened to spill over. Perhaps this reaction was from shock. Maybe I knew it all along, in the back of my mind, that it was too good to be true.

It was reasonable to believe that I just wanted all this to end. Maybe, I was unconsciously screaming for death. It didn't matter if I was _betrayed_ anymore- wouldn't my heart be stopped anyway? It didn't really matter who did the final deed.

The anger had subsided as quickly as it had rose. I still felt its sting, metaphorically- even if Mrs. Masen always had the intention of killing me, a relationship _did_ form between us in the process. Even I couldn't deny that. In fact, I was _grateful_. She understood me. My story. Or, at least, she had pretended to. But that sweetness just made this final moment so much more horrible, and left such a bitter taste in my mouth.

But I knew that I wouldn't change _anything_ that happened in the past few years. I didn't regret meeting this woman.

"Strange, isn't it?" Surprising myself, even, I looked into the face of the angel that had hidden so much from me. And I smiled.

My words confused her. Mrs. Masen's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Her eyes, still trying to search mine, held what seemed to me like many different emotions at once. It was like she was trying to search _me_, my _soul_- for the answers to my recent behavior.

Her voice was cautious. "Strange?"

A slightly hysterical laugh escaped my lips. I pulled away from her- she hadn't held a grip on me like the other man. I took a few steps back, farther away from the clearing we were in. Thinking of that stranger, I wondered where he was- nowhere in this clearing, that was for sure. I shook it off; it didn't matter anymore. _Nothing_ really mattered anymore, I realized...

I began talking again anyway. "I tell you _everything_ about me- to the point where it's like you can see _inside_ me- and what do I get? I get fed lies. Or nothing at all."

She had tried to speak, but I cut her off. I was _not_ a coward, and I would stare death in the face, if need be. I would yell, just so that she would remember me in a few years. I would make her remember that I put up a fight. I'd make her guilty that she killed me.

Despite all that I had thought, I didn't yell. I still couldn't find the anger that I so wanted to latch on to. All of my words came out as _statements_. It was like we were having a conversation over lunch, with my tone of voice.

"What's the best way for me to die, Mrs. Masen? You can hurl back all that I've told you; remind me that I trusted someone when I shouldn't have. You can bring back that red-eyed _savage_ and ask him to assault me again- _that_ got me scared out of my mind, if you didn't know. Or, you could take advantage of our location- I'm sure my parents wouldn't hear me scream..."

She was successful in cutting me off this time, just by the look in her eyes. Pathetic, isn't it? My rant was going on so _well_...

"I wouldn't. I wouldn't even think of harming you, Mel."

The words cut like little daggers.

And yet, my voice was still calm. "How do I know that? I don't know _you_, Mrs. Masen."

She grimaced. "Ask me something. Anything."

My eyes widened- I was caught off guard. Of course, I had thousands of questions, some of them so simple... but I decided to stay with the task at hand.

"Who's here with you? Where did _that guy _go?"

"Daniel Adams took him away." Her head tilted to the side.

Daniel was in this too. Things just got better and better...

I continued with our conversation, with my brisk questions and her calm answers. I asked her the stupidest things- the things that I thought of first. This took all of thirty seconds.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"I'm going to get you home as soon as possible."

"Why can't we leave now?"

"I need to wait for Daniel."

"Why?"

"My husband's orders."

All of these took me by surprise. She could lie so well, so fluidly. Like she's done it all her life.

And then I heard it, again. The growls, the shrieks. The terrifying animal sounds that were unexplainable.

I didn't believe that any of this was happening. I couldn't.

The sounds got closer and closer. It took five seconds for the growls to move what seemed like hundreds of yards.

Mrs. Masen's eyes widened, and snatched me up in her arms again. At once, I felt my back come in contact with a tree. And she was standing in front of me, as if to shield me from the blows that were about to come. I could tell, from our closeness, that she was holding her breath. I couldn't move, even if I tried. I was pinned against the tree.

"Don't look." Her voice was no more than a whisper. Of course, I didn't listen.

Two figures entered the clearing. One, I realized, was the beautiful red-eyed man. His eyes, which shone somewhat unnaturally in the twilight sky, were furious beyond belief. The other figure's presence brought even more chills to my spine, more goosebumps to my skin.

It was Daniel Adams, crouched low, like he was ready to fight at any moment. The curve of his spine, the positioning of his legs... he looked sick, twisted. Like he had rabies. And that was ignoring the expression on his face.

His teeth were _bared_, and they glistened in the remaining light that was left. His eyes, pools of molten gold, held such concentrated hate that I was terrified to even _look_ at him. Half of his face was dirtied, somehow. I couldn't see what the substance was.

He was still beautiful.

The stranger's voice rose. "What does she mean to you? Your yellow eyes... you wouldn't drink from 'er. _Why can't _I _have 'er_?"

"She's _only_ a girl! There's _billions_ of humans in the world- why not take their blood? What does she mean to _you_?" He turned the question back around.

He smirked at this. "But doesn't _Melanie's_ death make this all more fun?"

The stranger growled, then- his face contorting into something completely insane. That, I realized, was where all the sounds were coming from. There was no _animal._

Insanity.

Daniel growled back, even louder. And then he lunged.

* * *

_A/N: It's like I can never say what I want to in these past few chapters. I thought there was going to be so much more explained... but apparently not. Reviews would be so, so very nice._


	11. Evasion

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not my own belong to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

_- _

_Drink. To drink._

From me. That's what this was about.

"He wanted my blood, didn't he?" I breathed.

The snarling in the background got louder. I began to hear teeth snapping together.

After a minute, Mrs. Masen took a deep breath. Her voice was quiet as she confirmed my question.

And here, everything fell into place with the force of a wrecking ball. This world obviously wasn't what I thought- and I was a bit late on realizing this.

_Bloodsucker. Monster. Soul stealer. Twisted. Felon. Leech. Depraved. Demon. Sinner._

And Mrs. Masen was one of these... _things. _

I was confused, and I was lost. I was ready to believe in anything at this point. My emotions were going haywire. There was the shooting pain- the betrayal, the hopelessness. The fury, white-hot. Carelessness came in numb waves.

But instinct, prevailing, brought relief. It brought an irregular euphoria.

My own form of logic and common sense didn't go together- and that was the problem. I never knew what to believe. I never knew what to feel. I never knew if I was on the right track.

But from this moment on, I would believe in vampires. The unnatural calm that consumed me was still there, despite knowing these things.

I was vaguely aware of the many profanities Daniel was shouting.

At once, Mrs. Masen took me in her arms again, and I realized that my feet were no longer touching the ground. She tucked my head into her shoulder, and the last thing I saw was her brown hair and the pale skin of her neck. I couldn't fight her.

I suddenly felt the cold air against my exposed skin- it was very much like wind. The sounds of the fighting were getting rapidly more distant, and I wondered how we were traveling. Whatever we were doing, this all seemed effortless to her.

All too soon, she set me down. Did she just realize that she wasn't able to carry me for very long? She didn't look strong, after all- she was slim, and only a few inches taller than myself.

I looked around us, and I realized our surroundings were much different than before. The trees had noticeably thinned, and there was a narrow stream a few yards away. The scenery was still beautiful- a stark contrast compared to the events taking place. The same things could be said about vampires, I realized- their beauty masked their evil qualities.

I looked up into Mrs. Masen's face, hoping for an explanation.

"I ran." She left no room for questions. Well, she drank _blood_, so anything was possible...

I wondered why my emotions were still intact. They would have catapulted, surely- into panic, into madness.

Her voice was almost emotionless, and she continued with the same tone of voice. "We're about four miles from your house, Mel. It's going to get tricky, now..."

Her head swiftly turned to the right, with unimaginable speed. She closed her eyes briefly. "It's almost over."

Seconds later, I heard what must have been the ending of that encounter. Unnatural shrieks echoed through the forest, and there was the continuous sound of ripping...

A terribly loud screech, then a low crunch. The sounds sent shivers down my spine.

And that was that.

"I'm sorry, about all of this."

I turned towards Mrs. Masen, who sat on a large boulder. I decided to join her, and sat on the ground next to her. I simply shook my head.

Instinct often overshadows the logical part of us- the part of the human mind that forms opinions and makes sensible decisions is thrown out the window, and only replaced by gut feeling. This wasn't one of those times. Logically, there was trust. I didn't feel that in the arms of that madman, but why did I feel it now? I wanted to find out why I felt this way. I wasn't supposed to trust these people.

"Why are your eyes gold?"

A different voice answered my question. "We don't drink human blood."

Daniel stood across from us, leaning against a young tree. His impossibly white skin shone against the last bit of light that was left. I saw him smile, but the image of him snarling at my kidnapper was still at the forefront of my thoughts.

Mrs. Masen was the one to speak, now. I didn't turn to see her face. "It's how you tell us apart- the ones who think about sucking you dry, compared to the ones with good intentions."

"Animal blood." Daniel said, as a confirmation.

Mrs. Masen's laugh was quiet, but distinct. "You did a good job back there, you know."

Daniel laughed, too. "_Your_ power drove the poor guy crazy!"

They talked quietly for a few minutes. Then it stopped, abruptly. A few choice words were said by Daniel.

A few minutes passed.

I heard a rustle in the leaves on the ground. Daniel's rumbling growls suddenly filled the air.

"Shut _up_, Dan!" Mrs Masen was in front of me again.

Even though the light was dim, I could make out the large shape advancing towards us. Its roars were deeper than that of the vampires, but strangely, they weren't more terrifying.

Then, all animalistic sounds quieted, and there was silence. For a while.

Another rustle in the leaves. Muffled cries. Mrs. Masen wasn't in front of me any longer.

"It's alright. We're going to your house..." Daniel whispered the words in my ear before he lifted me off the ground again.

And we were flying.

* * *

_A/N: This update comes in a few days late, and I've realized how slow the story is moving. But we're almost there... _

_Reviews would be appreciated._


	12. Hostage

_Disclaimer: Any character that is not my own belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

_A/N: Axiom has actually gotten over 50 reviews- and I never would have expected it. This is the only fanfic that I have posted here- and I would just like to say that I am eternally grateful. So many of these reviews have questions, profound thoughts... and I'm so glad that the story actually has people interested! Whoot. I love you guys._

_Anyway, on with the story. The last 4 chapters have been... like _Confrontation: Parts 1-4._ Haha. This one's a bit different- just Daniel, Mel, a few answers, and a lot of information that you already know. Reviews are always appreciated._

* * *

_ -_

Minutes later, Daniel and I arrived in what I assumed to be a man-made clearing. The silence was deafening, and my unseeing eyes could not adjust to the dark. Besides Daniel's face, the only contrast to the perpetual gloom came from the light of the rising moon- a goddess untouched by the shadows the earth had been consumed.

After walking soundlessly for a few minutes, I took notice of another light. I saw them as tiny yellow pinpricks of what could only be porch lights.

"Why aren't we closer to the house?" I hadn't meant to say my thoughts aloud.

"Your cousin Jacob would attack if I ran you in. I would appear so suddenly that he might think you were being held hostage." Even in the nearly nonexistent light, I saw the gleam of his smile.

Instead of accepting his explanation, I took notice of who he referred to. "You know Jacob?" Surprise colored my tone.

He chuckled. "He's pretty famous in our household, actually."

I raised my eyebrows, and I knew he could see. Who knew how much better his vision was than mine...

He continued. "I might be able to save you from a fair bit of shock. I don't suppose your parents have told you about his love interests?"

Out of all he could have said, I expected this question least. "Well, when my parents were telling me about their old classmates... he came up, actually."

"Do you know who he fell in love with? Who he still loves now, even if he might not admit it?"

There was a moment of calm before I answered. "This girl... Bella Swan, they said." I grimaced, wondering if I should reveal this part of our dinner conversation with Daniel. I decided to, even if I didn't trust him completely.

But the gold in their eyes made all the difference, didn't it?

"Jake said, at dinner- only a few hours ago- that she was dead."

He chuckled humorlessly. "No surprise there. She's as good as dead to him." I didn't know what he meant.

He was thoughtful for a moment. "This will change everything for you, believe it or not- you _are_ tied so strongly to this hidden world."

"What do you mean?"

"You actually _know_ Bella Swan, Mel. And she makes all the difference."

There was silence.

He sighed. "To Jacob Black, a vampire is as good as dead. They're not_ human_ anymore- therefore, he thinks that they can't be _alive_. You only know one _female_ vampire..."

My breath came in an untamed gasp, as I was able to put the pieces together. "_Mrs. Masen_ is Bella Swan?"

He just laughed quietly again. We walked in silence a little while more.

"Bella Swan, Bella Masen..."

I mulled all this over. The thought, finally, occurred to me: my cousin used to be in love with my counselor, my role model. A goddess in... almost every sense. There weren't words to describe everything I felt tonight. My mind was numb to the brain activity that should be occurring. There wasn't anything to_ think_ about- to sort into neat little piles. I was much too shocked to do anything.

"I'm just taking away the element of surprise, aren't I?" He laughed, louder this time. I shrugged. He continued, sounding a bit smug. "But of course, there's still_ so many_ things you don't know..."

This was true, in any way he said it. I didn't know _anything_ about Mrs. Masen- _Bella_- after all. It still wasn't the most comforting feeling, especially after the hurricane of emotions I'd felt tonight.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he said the next words. "You'll get to properly meet her husband."

"_Mr. Masen_?" My tone was teasing.

He _clicked _his tongue a few times. "Something like that."

* * *

- 

We walked until the sky was completely blackened, with the exception of the moon. I could tell that Daniel didn't want me to be scared anymore. Our pace was slower- and we talked about small, inconsequential subjects. Nonetheless, we got to a point where my house was only a few hundred feet away.

"Why didn't he just come and get me, if he's been so overprotective?"

It was almost like I could see him grimace. "As much as he would have liked to- he can't. See, every one of us has a unique _smell_- a scent. All of us have the same _kind _of scent, but we're all unique. You could call it something like a fingerprint.

He smells both of us- he knows you're with a vampire right now. But he _doesn't_ know my scent, or Bella's. We're both pretty close to your house right now, close to you- he'll think of us as enemies. And it doesn't help that there are still fights taking place- _Mr. Masen_, as you like to call him- is still in the forest."

I wondered how Jacob knew about the vampires. He was only human, like me. How could he protect my family from them- with their immeasurable strength?

I'd soon find out, I knew.

We finally came into my irregularly shaped yard, and breaking through the last of the trees was like falling back down to earth. The dream would either be over, or the nightmare would mercilessly continue.


	13. Bulletproof Cupid

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not mine belong to Stephenie Meyer. The chapter title belongs to the Placebo song of the same name.  
_

_A/N: I hope this doesn't get too confusing- because Mel starts to look at Bella in a slightly different way, her actions begin to reflect this. She begins to call her 'Bella' in her thoughts._

* * *

_- _

As we continued to walk through the last of the trees surrounding the house, I began to hear more growling. One was monstrous sounding- belonging to whatever took Bella away, I figured. There were more, sounds, though- _different_ sounds... and they only strangely added to my fascination. A vampire fight, it sounded like... but much more violent than Daniel's scuffle. The chaos of the battle itself, projected only by voice. I spun around, looking to the north- the fights' position. Of course, many things seemed less frightening if your eyes have nothing to see.

Still, there was no more than curiosity. Where did the fear go?

The deep rumble of the first monster suddenly became the only thing I could hear. A gigantic wolf- if you could call it that- stepped in front of us, a guttural snarl ripping from its depths. I could see the house, now. We were only feet away...

The wolf, reddish in color, advanced toward Daniel slowly. Its black eyes held such a bizarre, familiar intensity- were they eyes that I've seen before?

_No, you idiot. You've never seen a wolf that looks bigger than a horse... _

That was true.

I looked into Daniel's face, for some kind of sign. His expression, however, was not what I had come to expect from him. Valiant, maybe? Smug? It wasn't something I'd seen before.

He smiled widely, looking into the face of the wolf.

And we were running again. It took seconds to get to the house.

The porch lights were bright- bright enough to make it seem like I was caught in the act of running away. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

I saw the faces of my parents and Cheyenne, leaning against the walls of the house. My mother's expression frightened me the most. It was heartbreaking to see the amount of anxiety and worry evident on her face. Did she know what I had gotten into?

_No, of course not. Just a mother's instinct. _

But her eyes told me so much more. My mother, who always told me that it was 'just my imagination.' That supernatural beings were only the subjects of horror films. She was always trapped in reality.

What _did_ I believe? A question I'd had to ask myself so many times tonight. Maybe if I pinched myself, the nightmare would be over...

Less than a second passed, and I found myself standing beside my mom. The wolf ran into the yard, and met Daniel. Another growl pierced the night sky.

My mother wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

Two figures appeared out of the opposite side of the yard. A man and a woman, I saw- their silhouettes were distinct. The man was pulling the woman by the hair.

"Dad!" This voice, like the wolf's eyes, were familiar. But _unlike_ the wolf, I could identify the person immediately. Who didn't know their own cousin's voice?

"Dad, phase back!" Aidan's voice was louder, harsher. More like a man's than ever before.

The red wolf disappeared into the forest once again.

I saw Aidan drag Bella into the light, her long hair clutched in his giant fist. Her head was down, almost hidden in her own shoulder. Daniel roared.

Bella's voice cut into the still air. "Shut _up_, Daniel!" Their relationship was almost comical, even in situations like these.

The wolf did not return. There was silence.

"Aidan!" The sound of Jacob's voice came from my right side- where the large wolf had gone. Surprise colored his tone.

Jacob's son was focused only on Bella, however. It seemed like there was no end to the hate etched out onto his face.

Daniel's protests had quieted. I didn't even know where he was, until I felt his icy touch on my arm. My mother pulled her closer to me. Daniel sighed.

"Angela, isn't it?" His voice was gentle, and he leaned in front of me to see her face. She nodded slowly. He gave her a reassuring smile, and his voice sounded empathetic.

"You've seen my eyes before, Angela. Killing you daughter isn't what I'd call fun."

I thought she had nothing to say. My mother held me even closer.

"Your eyes _aren't_ red..." Her voice was just a whisper. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daniel smile. I wondered how she knew that.

I almost missed the scene at hand, right in front of me. Aidan, still keeping a strong hold on Bella's hair, suddenly twisted around. He pulled the strands down, making her face turn up to him. She closed her eyes as she winced.

My mother and Ben gasped. I heard the fast tapping of Daniel's foot.

Violent tremors came off of Aidan like waves. "She's ours for the killing, dad- it would be so _easy_-"

"Wait." Jacob spoke in almost a monotone as he came out into the yard. Where had he been, all this time?

His voice was emotionless- apathetic, robotic sounding. He was calm and collected, even though his son had made it painfully clear that he wanted to kill a woman he didn't even know. Slightly annoyed by his son's outburst, he released Aidan's hold over the female vampire, and spun her around. Jacob looked into Bella's face, and the mystery I always saw in his emotions was suddenly nonexistent.

Time stopped.

The fear returned, full on- as Aidan exploded.

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_A/N: And, as the closing author's note- I really am sorry about my updates. It's been two weeks... gah. Life got in the way. I hope this chapter makes up for it- although it probably won't..._

_I do, however, hope to finish Axiom in the coming weeks. The story is just dragging so much more than I originally thought... but this cliffhanger, I hope, was one of the more interesting ones._

_Reviews are always appreciated!_


	14. Lacerations

_Disclaimer: Anything that is not mine belongs to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

_- _

In my lifetime, I've consciously felt many different kinds of fear. They've all been distinct- they've all had a different _flavor._ Fear, I found, was a very unique emotion- it had the power to present itself randomly. It came with all the stings and burns of an intense impulse. It was a very human thing to feel- fear made us all feel a bit vulnerable, didn't it?

While watching my cousin explode into a wolf, I figured that fear really_ wasn't_ a very unique emotion- it was just one that I wasn't very partial to. You could really apply my thoughts to anything, I realized- happiness, shock, fury, love. I used to only think about fear- did I really know happiness? I seemed so morose- it might have been laughable, in any other situation.

The images my eyes gave me were strange. Too _weird_... I wanted, very badly, for someone to say that it was all just a joke, cruel as it would've been. Although I believed in what I saw, it was easier to think of this night as an illusion.

How childish my thoughts seemed.

Aidan turned to Bella. He was, undoubtedly, going for the kill- the barbaric, animalistic desire was evident. My counselor, once thought of as a saint by me, remained calm, inspecting him with her wide eyes.

He attacked. He was unsuccessful.

Aidan never got to touch Bella. It was much like he froze- paralyzed by whatever force seemed to be acting upon him. He sank to the ground. Cheyenne gasped.

"Aidan!" Although her voice was worried, it wasn't shocked- she was not surprised. It was, of course, understandable... How much was hidden from me, I wasn't sure of anymore.

"What did you do?" Jacob's voice was definitely angry, even though I could tell he was trying very hard to conceal it. He shook, much like Aidan had minutes before. They were only yards away from us, now.

Jacob caught Bella around the wrist, turning her back to look at him. She, of course, protested- his grip looked impossibly tight, even from here- with the knuckles sticking out prominently underneath his tanned skin. It surprised me that he was strong enough to hold her.

His tremors got more and more violent, and Bella cried out in pain. The sound would have been ear-shattering if the pitch was just a bit higher...

All in one movement, she twisted her hand out of his grip, and slapped him- clean across the face. They both froze. I saw the contrast of color on Bella's skin at once- and I knew the dark substance on her hand was his blood.

"I did _nothing_. How could you think that?!" Her tone was frightening for once, intimidating- but she was speaking to an obviously intimidating man. Her voice finally matched her power, as a vampire.

He only scoffed, flexing his hand.

"Why would I hurt your _son_, Jacob?"

He said nothing. And then he was gone.

He had exploded, too. Even in the dim light, I saw the glossy burgundy color of his fur. He was the one that tried to attack Daniel, didn't he?

Attack me?

And at once, Aidan rose again, standing steadily, seemingly unscathed. It was as if a curse had been lifted off of him. Jacob led him into the forest at once, running almost as fast as I had felt, running with Daniel tonight. My parents were silent through the whole ordeal.

"Daniel." Bella's voice was full of authority- a demand. She motioned him to come to her, and he was at her side at once.

"Aidan isn't hurt at all, I swear." she assured us in a much softer tone- the voice _I_ knew. "Maybe just a little scared."

"I..." Her voice faltered, and she looked to the ground. "I'm so sorry about causing you so much trouble. The sounds alone must have had you..." She sighed. "We'll leave now. I apologize again, on behalf of our coven." The last sentence was spoken to Cheyenne. Bella's voice rang in my ears, filled only with remorse.

With one last apologetic look at me, she took Daniel's hand and began to turn around.

"Wait!"

It was Cheyenne that spoke. She got their attention- the two vampires looked back at her. I turned to her, too, and found that her eyes were not what I expected them to be. They were gentle. Her expression seemed genuine.

"Bella Swan?" Her voice was soft.

Bella nodded, a bit uncertainly.

Cheyenne smiled, now- reminding me of the joyous person I loved. She leapt from the porch steps, and put her arms around the astounded woman.

"Come inside, please." Cheyenne turned to Angela with a pleading look on her face. "It's okay, Ang."

Although Ben still seemed to be in too much shock to speak, my mother recovered quickly. She nodded vigorously. "Of course, Bella." She smiled, too, a bit hesitantly.

"Bella Swan..." Ben's voice was hoarse as we entered the house.

The night passed.

* * *

_A/N: Argh! Another late update. I WILL make it up to you guys. The next chapter might even be posted tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Such a slow moving story... But there's a little Bella/Jake physical action, haha..._


	15. Night

_Disclaimer: All characters that I do not own belong to Stephenie Meyer, as does the Twilight series... And I believe that 3 lines of the introduction is borrowed from Placebo's "Narcoleptic," being transformed accordingly to fit the story..._

* * *

- 

The night. Where all defense is broken down under one power, where the essence of dream and fact bleed together almost invisibly. Somehow, it's easier to _believe_ during the night- where all of man is given a chance to see the vast eternity ahead of us, behind us. Night. Where we're given a place to dream.

And I didn't want to wake. How could I, when all I could do was pretend? I couldn't fall, not tonight.

I would _still_ treat this night like a dream. Illusions were to be beautiful, and to me, were supposed to be void of all terror. The night should not be a menace.

I didn't care if my mindset would make it more painful for me to believe- tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. I would believe these creatures existed in _real_ life, existed in the day. I would, in time.

* * *

- 

Werewolves.

"I really am_ so _sorry..."

Cheyenne laughed. The sound echoed throughout our living room. "I've seen worse." She'd been so kind, so _generous_ with our guests tonight... I had wondered the reason.

"I can imagine. Both your husband and your son, werewolves..."

Cheyenne raised her eyebrows. "I believe you can _relate._"

Bella looked down, hands fidgeting in her lap. "I was surprised, really, when you said my name. I thought Jacob would have avoided my name at all costs- make it seem like I simply never existed."

An understanding smile crept up on her full lips. "It's impossible. A few of them still refuse to think of you as a vampire- only Bella Swan. They all_ were_ very angry, before- but now, it seems like you're only a memory, to Embry especially. He likes to focus on the good things. I think I can see why, too." Her smile grew wider. "Jacob does tend to keep things inside, though... but he's hardly angry. Grown up, I heard. He's grown into his emotions." Cheyenne's eyes sparkled at the apparent humor in her story- unknown to me.

"And your father, coming down to our house all the time- a constant reminder." Her voice was thoughtful.

Daniel's eyes, always too perceptive, looked at Bella.

Her voice was almost a whisper, although her face was carefully controlled. "How is he?"

"Very good, considering. Jacob says he's just about back to normal..."

It was strange, having both present and past collide so violently. Bella Swan, reawakened from the dead, it seemed. A person that only seemed real in old photographs, sitting in front of me.

She'd been sitting in front of me the whole time.

* * *

- 

"What did you do to Aidan? It seemed like he _froze_, or something..." Ben finally had the courage to talk. Like me, he was the only one that had been out of the loop. I guessed that the terror of the situation hadn't sunk in yet- my stepfather didn't look at all afraid. Maybe that's what Cheyenne had meant about their friends back in Washington- refusing to look at Bella the way they did other vampires. It did make sense... what if Orion had become a vampire? I couldn't imagine him the same as my kidnapper, with the monstrous red eyes.

Bella looked guilty, once again. "Some of us have... _gifts_, you could say. Extra senses, a _power_... supposedly from our human lives. Carrying our strongest trait with us, into this existence...

"I'm sorry about that, too. Aidan must have looked possessed..." Bella sighed. "Daniel." She beckoned him over.

Daniel's face turned wary in an instant. But nonetheless, he positioned himself over the now standing Bella. At once, he sank to the ground, fidgeting uncomfortably. The intensity of Bella's eyes was almost too much to bear, as she looked down on him. Daniel gasped.

"The power..." She murmured, "of hallucination."

I looked at the faces of my family, and the expressions ranged from curiosity, to nonchalance, to horror. Was there no end to surprise?

Bella had resumed talking, making Daniel's struggles seem more acute all the while.

"The mind works in very strange ways, I've found. Hallucinations... they can rearrange the metaphorical 'makeup' of the psyche- twist anything into some new, foreign shape.

I suppose that if I went far enough, I could drive someone insane." She didn't need to say any more.

Realization crept into my system as I remembered the effects she described. The feeling of being trapped in a mind that constantly twisted and turned... The barrier I had imagined so distinctly.

She had used her power on me. As the set of my face changed, Bella's look of guilt became much more pronounced.

Daniel had stood up at once, as the force of the hallucination had been lifted.

My mom hesitated before speaking again. "If your human senses intensify, how-" She didn't know how to finish her question.

"Can _I_ make people hallucinate?"

Everyone nodded.

Her mouth held a tiny grimace. "When my world had ended, the hallucinations had begun. The illusion of heartache is easiest to do, the easiest to recreate. I knew it best." She frowned.

"The actual hallucination was his voice."

I remembered the story of Bella Swan, told to me only weeks ago- how it seemed like she very nearly lost her own life. I remembered the sad tone to the story, although we had thought she had a happy ending. No one had known that her husband was a vampire...

She continued her story. "That's how I came to be friends with Jacob. The hallucinations came easiest in times of crisis. _His_ voice was the only thing I longed to hear... and so, I decided to recreate danger. Jacob taught me how to ride a motorcycle." She laughed, then, although the tone in which she told her story was just the opposite. "It worked, for a little while."

Her voice was distant. "The emergency room, almost getting killed on so many occasions... and then jumping off the cliff..." She was lost in her memories.

I felt the muscles in my face change. I was terrified, maybe unnecessarily so. She was alive now, wasn't she? No need to be so alarmed... The reactions of my family were similar- the story _they_ knew was much different than reality. _Jumping off of a cliff... _

No end to surprise.

* * *

- 

Cheyenne's smiles had become more relaxed since the beginning of the night. Her voice was teasing on the surface as she continued to make small talk with our guests. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

Daniel frowned. "A loner, looking for a mate."

All eyes turned to Bella, as if on cue.

"Vincent, the coven leader- saw me in Alaska a few years ago. He had _wanted_ me, in an animal way that wasn't even common to vampires."

She laughed, now- a hard, bitter thing. "He knew that the only way to get to me was to kill my husband."

Daniel nodded, adding to the story. "We'd contacted the closest family members to us, just to be sure that we would win the battle... at the time, we didn't know if they had any powers that could disadvantage us. Five against three..."

Bella nodded. "My husband even found a job close to me, overprotective fool. My sister can see the future, and she knew when they were supposed to arrive here. Alice and Jasper were going to arrive a few days early, as a precaution, but Vincent had made the snap decision to come early-"

My mother cut in. "Alice and Jasper?"

Daniel chuckled. "Yes, Jasper Hale and Alice Cu-"

"Shh!" Bella's eyes had gone wide. Was there something wrong?

"_That's_ mature, Bell. She'll find out anyway, sooner or later." Daniel was smirking. "It would just be more of a shocker for her to find out now, instead of next week... Adds to the excitement."

"That's not very mature, either." Bella scowled. The terrifying tone to the story had faded away somewhat lamely.

* * *

- 

Daniel was right.

Bella hesitated. "He knows what you're thinking, but he's not _sure-" His_ extra sense, the _telepath_...

Cheyenne cut her off. "Nonsense."

Bella's husband stood outside the door. Not sure how I would react to him, I prepared myself for the worst. He _left_, and yet, Bella had accepted his hand as soon as he had returned...

I heard the door quietly open and shut, and Edward Cullen walked into the room.

Her eyes were only focused on him.

_He_ was not the person I expected to see. And that was a severe understatement.

Shock came in sudden waves as they looked at each other, for only an instant.

A sudden, strange understanding washed through me as I saw the look on her face. Love definitely was not something I had a vast knowledge of, although I desperately wished for it. The expression was strangely heartbreaking.

It no longer mattered that I was stunned by her marriage to _this_ man. I now understood _who_ it was that moved closer to Bella, just to be protective... _student-teacher_ suddenly had a very different meaning. Sure, it was still _weird-_ but all sense of normal had been thrown out by this point, to be honest.

It was almost like I could see into the eyes of lovers, lost forever in time.

Time, both beautiful and terrifying.

Edward's face took on a different beauty, when he looked at his wife. There was nothing more for me to think about, with everything in such plain view.

I would never forget that expression, of absolute love. Nothing could compete.

* * *

- 

The silences that forced themselves in between the cracks of conversation were always comfortable.

My mother's voice was curious. "How much of your human life do you remember?"

Bella grimaced. "The memories aren't strong, anymore. They're only brief snippets, now... but I suppose I remember much more than the others in my family might have. I have help... remembering.

"I remember the cliff, so clearly. My wedding. Heartbreak. Falling in love." Edward's eyes closed for a brief instant.

Cheyenne smiled, now- a strange thing. "Jacob had left more than the effect of friendship on Bella, here."

Bella had looked at Jacob's wife, more guilty than ever. It was obvious that she hadn't meant what Cheyenne had said... but I was undecided. She had_ returned _the love of my cousin?

Bella looked up once more into Cheyenne's kind eyes. "I didn't think he would have told you..." She grimaced. "about what happened, so long ago."

Daniel's eyes flickered between my mother and Cheyenne, once again. And then to Edward.

She shook her head, almost at once. "It's ridiculously easy for me to get him to answer my questions. Honesty... it's valued, of course, in a world like ours. Having no secrets... knowing everything."

"He must have tried to keep it a secret, though. At least, for a while..." Bella's head turned pointedly in her husband's direction. She raised an eyebrow to his composed face.

She shook her head, looking a bit troubled. Her face turned back to us, and for a fraction of a second, her eyes seemed to hold white-hot fury.

Cheyenne nodded, somewhat reluctantly. She hadn't noticed the exchange. "When we first met. But he also tried to keep the fact that he imprinted a secret, too..."

I interrupted without thinking. "Imprinting?"

It was my mother that answered. "_I_ don't really know how it works- but it's easiest to call it the werewolf's form of mating." She smiled. "Jacob tried to fight nature- the fact that he imprinted on Cheyenne."

Bella smiled, a bit uncomfortable. The anger had gone as quickly as it had come.

It took a few minutes of thought to realize that something wasn't right.

"How do you know that, mom?"

* * *

_I should lower my expectations. "Oh, I'll update tomorrow!!" Pshh. Well, this chapter is the 2nd longest in the whole story... Reviews are, as always, very much appreciated.  
_


	16. Echo

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not mine belong to Stephenie Meyer._

_**A/N: This, sadly, is not technically an update.** _

_ Instead of working on the next chapter- like I should be doing- I decided to edit this last one, 'Echo.' The edit is MAJOR (double the amount of words, even)- so I suggest you read it! But the author is supposed to say that, isn't she? I hope you agree with me when I say that including a flashback was a very good idea from the reviews. _

* * *

_- _

The sky was almost black. The loud, vociferous sounds of the pouring rain echoed in my ears. The atmosphere made me delirious.

It was four in the morning, and I was looking out of my bedroom window. It didn't matter to me that I couldn't see anything in the room. I'd just be staring into space, anyway.

I also didn't look like I was going to school. Even if I hadn't been up all night listening to vampire stories, school wouldn't have been an option today. Listening to the rhythm of the rain- the constant tremors that made my heart swell- wasn't worth being missed. Peace, at last.

I took in the pointless family stories. In the past few hours, little observations constantly came flooding back... Daniel's muddy clothing, Bella's many attempts to hide the various stains on her jeans. The intense wisdom all of their eyes held- expressions much too profound for their ageless faces.

Jacob and Aidan had finally come back a little while ago- but Jacob had never entered the house again. While Edward and Daniel went to scour the forest for God knows what, Bella and Jacob went off in the other direction. A walk.

It seemed like a lifetime before the yelling stopped.

But in the end, I saw the two figures emerge out of the thick forest- woman and animal. Before the light of the moon was covered by the clouds, I saw what was to be their final meeting- for perhaps a very long time. Or for eternity. I didn't know.

And then the sky went black once more. Just like their love, I thought.

But like the moon's disappearance, the clouds wouldn't be able to consume the world in darkness forever. The light, much like their close friendship, would return. They would never be far, in heart.

And, hours later, I still stood here.

In the nonexistent light of the early morning, last night's events could replay more easily in my mind. The information I had always wanted to know was laid out in front of me, for all the world to see. All at once. And it was terrifying- what I didn't know, what became more clear to me- was just... _there_. For _me_ to see.

But I could still hold my shape, couldn't I?

I still didn't know everything about this world.

I didn't want to know as much as my mother- at least, not yet. She had been keeping the Cullens' secret for years. Was it because of fear, more than anything else? Even if she _was_ bound by _tribal law_...

Only a few hours ago, she had told me that my story was much more frightening than hers would ever be. I didn't know if that was exactly true.

* * *

_-_

_((3__rd__ Person))_

"_Cheyenne?" Her voice echoed through the thick green of the forest, creating a sort of nonexistent haze through the air._

"_Dammit! I'll be right there, Ang..." _

_But who would believe someone that hardly felt the sting of breaking bones? The girl's like iron__, Angela thought despairingly. She set off to find her cousin, who was only yards away- and it wasn't easy, seeing as the dark trees created annoyingly similar patterns that made her dizzy._

_The two cousins eventually met in a small clearing, void of vines and stray roots- and sunlight. Only an eerie green glow that cast itself around every silhouette was visible._

"_What the hell are you doing? It's almost sundown..." It was obvious that they both ended up even deeper into the forest._

_Cheyenne seemed unsure at first. Her feet rocked back on their heels several times. "Well... I thought I heard something... a voice. And so... I decided to go the opposite way, but then I fell..." She showed Angela the wrist that had been against her chest- it was a bloody mess. "I think it's sprained."_

_Angela's eyes widened considerably. "You're sure it's not _worse_? It almost looks mangled."_

_The fourteen-year-old laughed, despite Angela's serious expression. "Yeah. There's just a few cuts that make it seem bad. You know I bleed easy."_

_The older woman rolled her eyes and grabbed her cousin's good hand. "Let's go."_

_And then they heard it- several loud cracks of trees, and the high-pitched keen of what must have been a wild animal._

_"What was that?" But Cheyenne's voice was soon lost in the monstrous growl that followed._

_Two pairs of very human brown eyes watched as a pair of not-so human ones emerged out of the trees' cover._

_The ruby-red eyes were fixated on Cheyenne's hand, muscles ready to pounce. It only took a second. The two women weren't even aware of the man's beauty- the distractions his animal-like qualities presented were almost too much to bear._

_The fractions of this last second almost seemed to pass in slow motion to Angela, as she saw a resemblance between the maniac in front of them and the family of adopted children that she had known. _

_But she knew that the Cullens' looks were deceiving- didn't Alice especially prove that the family was kind? _

_But logic didn't overrule this experience. She shoved the family out of her mind, by courtesy. She knew them- they weren't wild like this. _

_And at once, there was another large shape in the too-small clearing, and spasms of fear constantly __struck Angela's body._

_The wild man got defensive, and was able to move in ways that shouldn't have been possible- with immense speed and agility. Almost graceful. He came closer towards the two girls._

_Suddenly, there was a sickening crunch- the splitting of bark, or the breaking of bones, Angela wasn't sure- and Cheyenne had collapsed into a tree thirty feet away, hidden in the shadows._

_A wolf, Angela realized, had tried to stop the attack. Tried to stop the man. She didn't take the fact that this man could throw actual people many feet away into account. There was too much to think about- and still, not enough._

_The two beings started to fight, moving away from the clearing in seconds._

_Angela rushed over to her cousin, just as she began to spit out bile- her stomach had been struck by the branches surrounding her. As she put her now unconscious cousin's head on her shoulder, Angela thought vaguely about _her_ stomach getting hit so violently. She didn't want to imagine it- what would happen to her baby. The child that no one knew about yet._

_But she had had the feeling that no one would have survived, anyway, as soon as that man came into sight, with his absolute porcelain skin. His presence stimulated a fear that Angela had never felt before- something completely unnatural._

_Although Angela prayed that they wouldn't encounter anything else during their time in the forest, she wasn't so lucky. _

"_You okay?" A gruff voice asked from above. Angela was looking at the profile of Jacob Black- who unconsciously brought back memories of people that were long gone. How was he here?_

_He looked clearly uncomfortable, asking Angela even the simplest questions. He wasn't _used to_ the reactions a girl should have._

"_Yes." Her voice was just a whisper, and yet it dripped with her opinions._

_Jacob only nodded. He ended up turning away from them. Angela wasn't even sure if his eyes had focused on the two of them at all. _

_After a moment of thought, Angela figured that she should try to stand- while supporting all of Cheyenne's weight. Needless to say, she began to stumble as soon as her legs straightened. Cheyenne's head rolled without mercy against her shoulder. _

_Her wounds were completely visible, now- much worse than originally thought. Angela noticed the large amount of blood- pooling at Cheyenne's feet. Jacob looked at the ground as he spoke, still facing the other way. his voice was distant.  
_

"_We should get her away from here. That parasite got real scared- maybe heard of the wolves- so he bolted. But still..."_

_Jacob finally looked towards the two cousins, muttering a hoarse 'sorry' under his breath as he reached for Cheyenne. Angela was finally relieved of the extra 125 pounds her cousin presented, as Jacob carefully lifted Cheyenne into his arms. She began to stir, and her face turned into his chest.  
_

_But her cousin's weight soon came crashing back down on her, as Jacob's eyes popped out of his head and his feet dragged backward._

_There was now a wolf where the young man once stood._

_Angela waited a long time before he came back- even if they very well could have left. She cleverly used the shreds of his clothing as tourniquets for Cheyenne's gashes. After a while, the bleeding stopped, and Cheyenne had even woken up. There was an unnatural calm in the air.  
_

_And Jacob eventually returned._

-

The scene that forever played behind my mother's eyelids.

Did I really believe that?

That two people could be made so perfectly for each other? In such a situation? It seemed like a curse.

But it seemed heaven-sent. A Godsend.

And then they laughed about it all, just to shake off the unwelcome feelings. Everything was alright, now. Everyone was happy. Everyone had healed, after the questions had found answers.

Now I knew why my mother refused to tell me fairy tales. My thoughts seemed monotonous- even after experiencing several lifetime's worth of fear. I didn't know why.

There were many things that I didn't know- but I found that I could laugh, too.

I hoped that there would always be laughter.


	17. Wasted

_Disclaimer: Everything that is not my own belongs to Stephenie Meyer. And I do NOT, by all means, endorse the use of drugs._

* * *

-

The ridiculously hot water felt more like beads of ice as I stood under the shower's perpetual halo. As if keeping time with the increasing number of burns on my skin, my thoughts steadily became under the control of near insanity. I wasn't even sure why. Before I had fallen into the strange coma last night's sleep brought, the fear tugged at the corners of my conscience like something of no importance. A late homework assignment that never really mattered in the first place, or the pile of dishes that were waiting to be done.

The hysteria crept up my body very slowly, then. I felt the change- the slight twitch in my neck, the protest my rigid fingers had given me when I tried to flex. It was just another thing to shrug off.

I couldn't be afraid. There was no _reason._

And yet, the essence of my own mind seemed to unravel at an alarming rate- where it seemed, physically, that my eyes would be permanently unfocused, or that my scalp would forever show the damage of ripping my hair out. Hundreds of strands...

I was silent.

There were thoughts that I wanted to swat away. Urges to scream. This twisted game my mind seemed to have played on me wasn't anything worth a round of applause. Was this really _that_ bad? Last night- albeit unnatural- wasn't anything more than a wake up call to the trench I had dug my mind into. There _should_ be no delirium involved. No fear, no wonder. No terrifying alarms going off in my head. Just me.

The hysteria was delayed. I chose to shut off my emotions last night in the forest so severely- and I was paying for it now. They hit my body like cement blocks.

But I was only human, after all. My emotions, although haywire, were probably never more than _stoical_- I was not the superior species.

* * *

-

Nevertheless, I walked down the stairs fifteen minutes later. I hoped that the expression on my face was somewhat calm, somewhat plausible. My steps were steady, and my eyes were probably as cold as their gray color.

It was early enough that I hoped no one would be awake. An encounter with my mother was not an issue- her commute took long enough to the point that she left before I did.

I wasn't sure if I admired my mother any longer. Or anyone, for that matter. She had tried so desperately to keep this household running like normal- like we could suddenly switch back to being a good, wholesome family. But with every extra precaution she made, every lie she told herself, the more cracks we could see in her iron shield.

Cheyenne was there, surprisingly, her voice quiet as she talked to someone on the phone. I guessed that if I encountered anyone this morning, I'd be sent straight up to my room, with a claim that I 'hadn't healed emotionally yet' or some other cock-and-bull story.

She let me go, with only a look of near pity.

Maybe Cheyenne understood more than anyone that I desperately needed to be told there was, somewhere, a form of _ordinary._ There was no other way I could think of to break this barrier my mind had unconsciously put between me and everything else. I needed closure, no matter how small the amount of relief would be. I needed to go to school.

I didn't want _pity_. I wanted to function.

* * *

-

Driving to school already brought comfort. My eyes were wide and bright as I looked at the lines in the twisting road- sharp, as they noticed the vibrant colors of little children's coats. It was almost like I was healing from an operation- relishing in the sensation oftouch as the anesthesia's power could no longer hold me back.

It was _exactly_ like that, the more I thought about it.

I was vaguely aware that my sudden changes in emotion probably hurt more than they helped. I knew, underneath it all, that this strange happiness was more like a high than anything else- that I could lose this precious mindset just as easily as I had achieved it. But I also knew that the hysteria was unbearable. I wasn't made to endure _that_ kind of pain. So I would take anything else offered to me.

I'd seen a few different friends cloak themselves in the lie that drugs told. And I felt _just_ like them.

I felt invincible.

* * *

-

The _tapping_ sounds my boots made echoed in my ears as I opened the door to the backseat of my car. After a minute of perilous searching, I found the granola bar I hadn't eaten on Tuesday and the English paper that I forgot to turn in. I laughed. Everything I was doing was so _foolish_- checking my makeup in the rear view mirror or putting a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. It seemed so normal.

And the strange happiness returned. Even though I was sure I would get some sort of reaction out of myself today- I didn't know the feeling would be this _incredible_.

I stood up, still chuckling to myself. I knew today would be one of the best school days I've had in a while.

Someone at the edge of the parking lot caught my attention as I looked up, although my surroundings were almost silent. I saw the contrast of black hair and white skin.

My red-eyed attacker's face surfaced almost immediately. A reflex reaction? Maybe I was waiting for this. Maybe I _knew_.

I felt my head hit the asphalt.

* * *

_-_

_A/N: Two weeks since I've updated... dammit. _

_I do have some news, though... after this chapter, there will only be one or two chapters left, depending on if I want a completely 'proper' ending, plus an epilogue, which is already partially written. We're coming into the home stretch..._

_Mel is going insane, isn't she? The drug reference was the most powerful metaphor I could think of- to have your emotions even take _you_ by surprise._


	18. Demons

_Disclaimer: All characters that are not mine belong to Stephenie Meyer._

* * *

-

"Melanie?"

The voice continued to softly call my name, basking in all of its delightfully-toned glory. The fingers, although cold, still prodded at my temples, probably with the thought that this action would help me in some major way.

Lying on this couch was torture, in some sense... the fact that I was only human- foolish and slow- was pushed into the forefront of my rampantly-running thoughts.

I wasn't completely done being melodramatic, after all.

The voice above my head sighed loudly, obviously exasperated by my admittedly childish behavior. "You know that I can hear everything you're saying."

I finally opened my eyes to the troubled face of none other than Edward Cullen, who was sitting next to my body on the brown leather couch.

Despite the worried creases lining his brow, he managed to smile slightly. "Better, now? That was a pretty nasty fall, you know." He paused for a moment. "_That_ wasn't me." His tone was so firm, as he disproved the accusation I hadn't even voiced, and I didn't dare challenge his words. "Stupid boy." he murmured- then Daniel was the one I saw in the parking lot, he unknowingly confirmed.

He sighed, and got to his feet. Unwillingly, I took his outstretched hand and stood, too. The dizziness I had expected wasn't there- and I remembered that even though I never knew who Bella's husband was, I always knew his field of study. He'd apparently done his job right.

I heard a quiet chuckle from beside me.

"No matter how much I think that you have every reason to loathe us... I wouldn't like you to," he said, in a rather offhand voice. His words were meant to be gently said, I could tell- there was no accusation in his voice. But even so, I couldn't handle the too-perfect tenor of his voice. I _should_ blame them for everything, right?

"Bella adores you," Edward blurted, the muscles in his face much more calm. "She's said that she's never met any young woman that knew their mind so well, but their emotions so little."

They were all aware that my thoughts-over the last many months, even- got closer and closer to the core of major insecurities I held. It was only a matter of time before I was taking every negative bottled up emotion I possessed and pouring it into any terrifying event. I had created my own murky lake of unnecessary anger, which they happened to be drowning in.

These thoughts became more and more frivolous, until I realized that there needn't be any twinge of spite left in my being. In seconds! My opinions had gone from black to white- talk about a mood swing. As I came to my own senses, I knew I would no longer be able to blame _them_ for the demons in my own mind- they were, after all, very different demons than those I saw in the forest that night. Even after all my very sudden changes in heart, the fact that I could suddenly _accept_ everything was incredible- to not fight against truth any longer. I'd never realized.

There was, now, a sudden sense of loyalty to them. That there was no need for anything other than trust. Why waste life looking through the distorted perception of the alternative?

"Is she here?" I asked in a small voice.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's outside, in the forest." His voice was curt- almost cold. Meanwhile, someone hesitantly peeked into the room. Once he figured that he was in safe territory, he began to walk towards us.

"Melanie!" Daniel boomed, striding into the room as if we went out for cocktails instead of witnessing multiple vampire murders the other night. "You okay?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at my alarmed expression. His tone was joking as he added, "I thought you fainted because of my _dashing_ good looks, but-" he immediately sobered as his eyes wandered over to Edward's face, whose scowl wasn't all too pleasant.

There was an abnormally loud sound that reverberated off the walls. It seemed to come from directly behind Daniel- even though the only movement in the room was Edward taking a step to the side. I later realized, as Daniel's head lurched forward, that Edward had hit him. The action was much too fast for my eyes.

The sound of Edward's acid-spiked voice replaced the sound of the mini-collision. And even though the emotion behind his words was painfully clear, the actual words that whipped through the air were too quickly said for me to comprehend.

Daniel scoffed and muttered something back, and the look shot back at him clearly said not to push it.

In the same instant, both heads turned towards the forest surrounding their home. The movement of their heads turning in unison looked more like a force instead of a reaction to whatever noise was bothering their row.

Edward's profile grimaced. Daniel's smirked.

There was a distant sound of a door slamming, and I was alone, yet again, with Daniel Adams.

I tapped my foot on the hardwood floor while he looked out of the window. If there was anything he wanted to say before I left, I wasn't sure.

"Is my car here?" I finally asked.

He nodded without looking in my direction. "I drove you here in it, after all."

I eyed him warily for a moment, then moved to get my keys off the expensive-looking coffee table in front of me. I wasn't surprised when his cool hand stopped mine from leaving the place I knew I never wanted to leave.

"That's why she's coming back, you know. You can't leave." After seeing the (probably priceless) look on my clueless face, he continued. "Those two. They... _work_, I guess you could say, together in a way that I've never seen among couples of my kind." He laughed once- a hard, cruel thing. "But if love wasn't similar to anger, their relationship would be even more unbalanced than it already is. They indulge in both a bit too recklessly."

I understood. "They both have strong tempers, don't they?"

He laughed. "Eh. You can hardly tell- only in times like these."

His words came faster now, rambling his thoughts to the only person he could- me. "I think... that they're both to fault, in this situation. It makes sense that Bella questions herself, I can see that- the feeling of doubt is magnified by her anger." He paused, filtering through his own thoughts. "But Edward also has the right to think some of the things he does, even if they're very different. He has the incentive- but not after nearly twenty years."

He shook his head rather suddenly. "You see, Mel, these two haven't dealt with the issues they left behind- they never saw the need to. But the one thing they didn't face was the insecurity, the _emotion_ behind those actions that happened so long ago."

My face showed my confusion, and he decided to add to his ever-increasing rant. "Jacob's presence has haunted Edward for a while. And now, after that confrontation..."

"Jacob and Bella were in love." I suddenly recalled.

He cocked his head to the side. "In a sense, yes."

Although I didn't really _know_ the situations of the woman in question, she knew me better than anyone else. And that constitutes for something, doesn't it?

Twisted as it seemed, I was sure that Bella could will my pain away by letting me watch hers bloom.

* * *

_A/N: I don't think February was the best month for fanfiction._

_School was unbearable, but that really isn't an excuse! This chapter was written over the last month, in reality- at the times where I wasn't staying up till 2 AM doing math projects and whatnot. Argh. _

_Now, I also really didn't know how to write this one. The interest wasn't all here, even if I knew exactly what I wanted to say. So, I decided to post what I had done instead of waiting maybe another few weeks for a 4,000 word last chapter._

_When I finish Axiom, I plan to do, well, a major edit. Parts will be added, taken out... I realized that I'm really not satisfied with this story. I'm going to merge those 800 word chapters, like chapters 9 and 10, I believe... clean up that mess. So if you have ANY advice, please notify me! There have already been major changes I've made that have come from the reviews. Especially this chapter- I don't know if I'm too fond of this one. _


	19. Falling

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my ideas._

* * *

-

We stood like that for quite some time, without reason- he stared into space while I wondered why my feet wouldn't change position. But the air was certainly not still.

"Idiot." Daniel's mutterings had gotten louder. The words began to string together, began to blend like violent shades of watercolor paint- words that exploded across the blank surface without being too offensive, or, in contrast, too muted.

"Don't follow her. What are you playing at, _Edward_? That arrogance..."

My eyebrows furrowed.

I chose not to be in insanity's company as I grabbed my coat off the back of the couch. I was thwarted, however, by the hardwood floor that my feet slipped against. My face ended up in the cushion.

"Mel, what is that?" The tone of Daniel's voice held the slightest hint of well-masked concern despite the distractions, and he sounded much closer than I originally thought.

I had felt my thin cotton shirt gather around my waist a few seconds before he said this, and I knew he could see one of the many parts of my past I had so desperately tried to hide, from everyone else except Bella, at least. Nonetheless, I decided to play innocent. "What is what, Dan?"

"This." I felt him draw an ice cold finger along my exposed hip. "That's a pretty nasty scar..."

"It's nothing!"

I tried (and failed) to banter playfully with him until he'd get distracted. But he was a vampire- something I could never forget, and could hardly even bear to acknowledge- he was able to think of many things without forgetting anything else. I didn't know why he was so pressing- it would've sounded rude had he not been so cheery about it.

Eventually, I stood up and looked down while I pulled my shirt down as far as it could go. I heard something alien speak after a few seconds of silence- it took a while to realize that the soft voice was my own, warped by tones of shame and the whispers of indecision.

"My father did it. The scar goes around my stomach and up part of my back, and I have another going across my shoulder blade." I peeked at him through my lashes. "Anything else?" The sound of my voice was a little hoarse from the tears I were trying to suppress- and I didn't cry often.

Oh, the insensitive Daniel Adams- you really don't need to be hugging me.

He practically dragged me out the door at the sound of Bella and Edward's return- who I couldn't hear anyway- but he decided to make small talk while we walked slowly. Dawn was just beginning to fade- the clouds began to take on their usual pink color as the sun rose from the east.

"Are you talented too, like Bella and Edward are? Can you do any weird things with your mind?" I asked after a few minutes, in an attempt to divert his attention after the silence had settled.

He bit his lip for a second before answering. "Well, it depends on what you mean by talent. There are some of us who are extremely gifted in the physical sense, but not at all emotionally. Or vice versa, of course. Like Edward and Bella- they're not physically extraordinary in any way, but both could command power if they wanted.

"But me, I don't think I'm either- not really. Remember how Bella was talking about having your abilities enhanced as you change? It's a little like that with me, I suppose, like Emmet Cullen's strength or their father's compassion. I just like to pay attention. I don't really like tuning anything out... But I'm not special, regardless."

I ignored the last part, the part I couldn't agree on with any of them. They were all too special. "Why is that? What about being human gave you that habit?"

He smiled slightly. "I was... vibrant, I guess you could say." He chuckled under his breath. "Time has taken a lot out of me. If I hadn't been changed when I did, if I hadn't so quickly learned about being in the right place at the right time..."

At the rather subtle mention of time, I interrupted- "How old are you, then? For time to wear you down like it did, like you so shamelessly say."

He sighed like an old man and slumped his shoulders. "I was changed when I was sixteen by Irina- a part of a clan the Cullens know- up in Alaska. I guess she pitied me, or whatever. But I should be twenty-eight, in reality."

I tried to punch him- and my knuckles ended up cracking unpleasantly. "You bastard! You're younger than Bella, even."

His laughter suddenly boomed. "I'm not sixteen, though. Just like Edward's not one hundred and twenty five, huh?"

I blanched.

"Why, then," I chose to continue, and to possibly mask my surprise, "were you changed? Why did they pity you? You didn't finish that part of your story."

"There's not much to tell. I was hit by a car when I was about eleven. They did surgery on my ear- tried to reconstruct it as best they could. It ended up looking normal, but I was deaf. Really the only reason I like this heightened hearing... apart from being on the hunt- it's like I'm being compensated."

He smiled briefly before continuing. "And so, after that, growing up in Alaska, everything's too quiet, right? My parents were real outdoorsy, and the one time I was on my cell phone with my one good ear..."

His eyes shot up to mine. "Well, the Denali clan was right there when I was attacked. The vampire didn't live long after." I knew he was editing his story to make it seem less grotesque.

I had to stifle a gasp anyway.

Daniel continued, in a tone that was strangely both humble and shameless. "At least my father didn't enforce his rules with a fist." He frowned. "All of my misfortunes stemmed only from accidents." He smiled, and his face turned towards the forest once again.

Almost in slow motion, it seemed, they emerged- white and angelic in the faint light that was sadly obscured by the clouds. And they weren't speaking.

Bella stalked quietly to my side, her steadily darkening eyes narrowed- though they didn't hold any emotion like hate or anger. It was frustration at the most.

"How are the deer today, Bella?" Daniel asked snidely, his eyes playfully twinkling. His eyes moved towards Edward's dark shirt, very subtly covered in what could only be blood.

I didn't expect what happened next. Daniel shrieked- an alien sound instead of a human one- and fell to the ground, hands on his head. After only a second, the scene changed- he clutched his shoulder, then his heart.

After going silent, his body went limp. The only sound between the four of us was his breathing, normal despite what happened only seconds ago.

Bella's eyes held black fury, but her voice was polite as ever when she spoke to me. "Sorry, Mel. Come- I'll drive you home."

She tugged my wrist gently, and I pretended not to see Daniel, probably screaming his thoughts in his mind to Edward. I pretended not to see Edward's slight grimace, the fists that were knotted into his hair.

We left.

* * *

My car seemed to run much better with Bella driving. Her eyes had returned to being flat and seemingly unresponsive, and her conversation seemed forced at times. I didn't realize until we had exited their several mile long driveway and onto the slightly less cloudy highway that she was pushing my car almost eighty miles an hour- a feat I thought my precious Mazda couldn't accomplish.

After a few minutes of strained silence, she finally spoke. "I'm sorry you had to be there when I acted like I did. Dan's right- my husband and I are so temperamental, so _stubborn_..." She shook her head. "That was definitely our worst argument by far. Ridiculous."

I dared to peek at her impassive face, and wondered how her words could be so incredibly calm- the tone so much like regular conversation.

Her exquisite eyes flickered to mine, and she smiled sadly. "That was the first time I think I've ever forced my power upon him. Ever." She took in a shaky breath, and shook her head again. It was like she was trying to rid herself of her thoughts.

"Why did you? What about Jacob made you fight like that?" I had wanted to ask my question delicately, but it came out more obnoxious than needed. I sounded almost rude.

She smiled- or tried to- anyway. "Figures, for Daniel to tell you." She was silent for a few short seconds before continuing. "Last night, Edward felt like... he had to fight for more than me over that barbaric man- but that he had to fight for my _memories_. He was afraid that he would lose me- now, to my past memories of Jacob." She frowned as she said my cousin's name.

"Jacob told me that Aidan could have been _my_ son. That it would have been better... but how could it have been? How could I have both lives, when I love one infinitely more than the other I left behind?" She shook her head even more violently. "And Edward heard that- the beginning, at least."

I thought that over for a moment. "What does that... _do..._ to him?"

She sighed. "I've thought, from the look he gets every time Jacob's name is mentioned, that he's afraid. Afraid I regret _this _more than anything on this planet." She gestured quickly to her body. "And that he didn't have as much faith in my love as he should... all this time. That my mind has been elsewhere these twenty years, in a way that it shouldn't."

Although she was driving, she closed her eyes tightly as one hand wrapped around her torso. "He doesn't know," she murmured so quietly that I wasn't sure if my ears deceived me. She shook her head again, quickly, before accelerating the car once more. "But he will," she said, finally, her tone resolute.

"Know what?" I heard myself question back to her.

She looked at me and smiled again, this time in earnest- but she didn't say anything. The car lurched to a stop in front of my home, and she gracefully stood.

I took note of the dark figure in the shadows of my backyard, and a pang of discomfort wound its way through my body once more. The déjà vu wouldn't end, would it?

Bella reached forward, and I felt her arms around me once again- colder than I'd ever remembered. If I hadn't been so automatically attentive to the woman before me, I wouldn't have heard her utter the word I would find to be infinitely important- the word that prevailed among all others, triumphed from circumstances I wouldn't have thought possible. This one word triumphed over my beliefs forever.

She looked at me for a split second, smiling- the expression I could forever remember her wearing. Then, she turned around and looked at him, in the shadows. She looked at Edward with an eerie serenity- because, really, peace for eternity can be eerie.

But never love, really. It can change to fit thousands of molds within the same two people, overcome bleak perspectives, plagues of oozing hate that spread throughout the body. There aren't many things that do that.

She turned her face to the emerging sun and laughed. Her skin sparkled like millions of crystals, intertwining with her soul and exploding into shards of glass that hit her still heart, forever vibrant as they seeped through her mind, seeped through his as he laughed too, in all their perfection- as love was forever perfect no matter the flaws of the players- through their piercing eyes, black, gold or in between... they laughed and they loved more than anyone else with no boundaries and only perfect moments but always kept a sense of reality so they'd never crash down to earth and forget-

They were gone.

* * *

It took fear that reached my very core. Love that outshone all. A painful realization that the past _is_ the past. Trust, most of all. And a report on Slavic mythology.

If Edward could see something so important, then I could, too. And I did just that- I found what I didn't know I was searching for, what I needed to forget, wanted to arm myself with- only _I_ needed to see it, even through others as they slowly revealed their worlds and their universes. It took that one word, uttered from Bella's lips the last time I would ever see her.

Truth.

* * *

_A/N: So this is it, with the little complete thing at the top. Done. And I think this is one of my favorite chapters._

_That last break would have been the epilogue had I made it into a complete chapter, but I honestly didn't know what I was going to fill that space up with. I hope I got my point across that yes, there was a point to this story, and this is about as AU as it gets, haha. (Okay, not really.) But I always valued Melanie's realization in this last chapter, and I just decided to play in Ms. Meyers world. And what Bella sys about Edward is kinda what I actually think about him, but that's beside the point._

_Thank you for bearing with me these past few months! It's June first already. I updated in March. Agh. (And I think I have about 12 hours worth of work due tomorrow, even though it's the last week of school.) But really, I feel very grateful for everything, including patience. Once again, if anything from any part of the story should be changed, please tell me so._

_If, by some miracle, you liked any part of this, look out for more to come before Breaking Dawn is released. _

_(By the way, has anyone gotten an EC Special Edition? Breaking Dawn's preface kind of scares me.)_

_Thank you._

_scintillant.blackskies_


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